Inhibitory Effect of Saffron (Crocus sativus L.) from Diferent Countries

Saffron (Crocus sativus L.) from ancient times has been used as medicinal herbolary Saffron, rich sources of carotenoids, is known for its anti-cancer and anti-tumor effects. It was known that estimated chemical composition and concentrations of main biological active ingredients of saffron strongly depended on the method employed for cultivation, drying, extraction, separation, quantification and climatic conditions of origin place. The present comparative study was designed to evaluate the cytotoxic activity of saffron from 11 different (Azerbaijan; China; France; Greece; India; Iran; Italy; New Zealand; Spain; Turkey and “Sigma” company) sources against HeLa human malignant cells (epitheloid carcinoma-cervix). The cytotoxic effects of these extracts were determined by using viability and colony formation assays. All used saffron extracts had no any cytotoxic effects on normal human cells. The IC50 of saffron extracts on viability of HeLa cells were varied from 2.5 to 5.3 mg/ml. The IC50 of saffron extracts on colony formation of HeLa cells were varied between different sources from 0.353 to 0.740 mg/ml. In the both assays saffron from India possess more inhibitory activity and saffron from China less inhibitory activity. Possible explanation for differential cytotoxic activity of used saffron extracts against human malignant cells may be lay in the difference of chemical composition and concentrations of biological active carotenoid ingredients of saffron from different sources. Currently, this difference in cytotoxic activity of saffron from different sources is under investigation.

Keywords:

viability assays , cytotocity , cancer cells , biological active , anti-cancer