Use of Saffron (Crocus sativus L.) as a Feed Additive for Improving Growth and Meat or Egg Quality in Poultry

From ancient times, saffron, the flower of the plant Crocus sativus L., is widely used as a traditional medicine to promote health and fight disease. Crocus sativus is cultivated in different parts of the world such as Greece, Spain and, mainly, Iran. In view of its wide range of medicinal uses, saffron has submitted to extensive phytochemical and biochemical studies and a variety of biologically active substances that may exhibit diverse activities have been isolated. The goal of this review is to discuss and summarize the scientific data on the biological properties of saffron and its main ingredients, and to investigate its possible use as a feed additive. The poultry industry would greatly appreciate natural antioxidants that could replace the synthetic ones and satisfy consumer demands for production of eggs and meat without residues from substances that have the potential to harm human health. With natural agents, such as saffron, the hope is that their availability, lack of obvious toxicity at effective dose and ability to protect health by various mechanisms, would allow their introduction as potential feed additives. The major challenges are the standardization of the biological multi-component composition derived from saffron and the standardization of their effects on animal performance and food quality and safety. _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________