From ancient times, the saffron Crocus sativus L. is widely used as drug to promote health and fight disease, especially in the Middle East and Southeast Asia. Saffron is cultivated in different parts of the world, but currently mainly in Iran. In view of its wide range of medical uses, the saffron has under gone extensive phytochemical and biochemical studies and variety of biologically active...

Moroccan saffron is mainly produced in the South, on a limited zone of about 600 ha. In 2005, the National Institute of Agronomic Research, Morocco, carried out a study on trying saffron crop in some underprivileged regions under diverse environments, as way to propose alternative crop for the socio-economic development of rural area. The preliminary results obtained during this first year are ...

We praise the article by Mokhtari-Zaer et al. (2015) published in the Avicenna Journal of Phytomedicine on the effects of saffron on smooth muscle activity (Mokhtari-Zaer et al., 2015). It was a well-designed and interesting study on the therapeutic properties of Crocus sativus which is a precious plant cultivated in our country. We do believe that along with all other medicinal effects, saffro...

From ancient times, saffron dried stigmas of Crocus sativus L. is widely used as a drug against different human diseases. In the beginning of 1990 ́s scientific literature reported for the first time the antitumor activity of saffron. During the last decade different laboratories of the world (including ours) have accumulated sufficient scientific evidence to suggest that saffron, and its main i...

Saffron, obtained from the dried stigmas of Crocus sativus L., is an important spice, rich in carotenoids. Carotenoids are capable of protecting cells from the attack of free radicals, which naturally develop during sunbathing, smoking, exercise – even breathing oxygen. It has been estimated that our body needs 6 to 30 mg of carotenoids per day to protect its cells. These amounts are normally c...