Hermetica Superfood Encyclopedia
Legacy index-continuity record: the score and narrative are provisional and must not be represented as validated or human-approved.
Review flags: CLAIM_LEVEL_HUMAN_REVIEW_REQUIRED
Crocus sativus has human sleep trials, including one using 15.5 mg/day, but evidence certainty varies. A meta-analysis rated sleep-quality evidence very low and sleep-duration evidence moderate.
Origin & History
Saffron is derived from the dried stigmas of the flower Crocus sativus L., a perennial herbaceous plant native to Iran, Greece, and Mediterranean regions. The stigmas are hand-harvested from purple flowers and extracted using methods such as water-ethanol mixtures, supercritical CO2, or ultrasound-assisted extraction to obtain bioactive compounds including carotenoids like crocin and monoterpenes like safranal.
Research Narrative (Provisional)
A 2022 systematic review and meta-analysis evaluated saffron for insomnia and graded evidence differently across sleep outcomes (PMID 36141931). A randomized double-blind trial used 15.5 mg/day of a specified saffron extract (PMID 33925432).
Preparation & Dosage
Dosage guidance is withheld because the publication gate has not recorded adequate support for this profile.
Nutritional Profile
Saffron (Crocus sativus stigmas) is used in very small culinary quantities (typically 0.1–0.5g per serving), making macronutrient contribution nutritionally negligible. Per 100g dry stigmas: calories ~310 kcal, carbohydrates ~65g (including dietary fiber ~3.9g), protein ~11.4g, fat ~5.9g, moisture ~11.9g. Key micronutrients per 100g: vitamin C ~80.8mg, riboflavin (B2) ~0.267mg, niacin (B3) ~1.46mg, vitamin B6 ~1.01mg, folate ~93mcg, manganese ~28.4mg, iron ~11.1mg, magnesium ~264mg, phosphorus ~252mg, potassium ~1724mg, zinc ~1.09mg, copper ~0.328mg. Primary bioactive compounds: (1) Crocins (polyene dicarboxylic acid glycosides, primarily crocetin di-(β-D-gentiobiosyl) ester) — the principal water-soluble carotenoid pigments responsible for yellow-orange color, reported at 6–16% dry weight; (2) Safranal (2,6,6-trimethyl-1,3-cyclohexadiene-1-carboxaldehyde) — volatile compound responsible for characteristic aroma, derived from picrocrocin degradation, comprising ~70% of volatile fraction; (3) Picrocrocin (4-(β-D-glucopyranosyloxy)-2,6,6-trimethyl-1-cyclohex-1-ene-1-carboxaldehyde) — bitter glycoside responsible for taste, reported at 4–8% dry weight, precursor to safranal; (4) Crocetin (aglycone of crocins) — free form present in smaller concentrations, lipid-soluble; (5) Kaempferol and quercetin glycosides — flavonoids present in minor concentrations (~0.1–0.4% dry weight); (6) Anthocyanins including delphinidin derivatives — trace amounts. Bioavailability notes: Crocins are hydrophilic and demonstrate reasonable gastrointestinal absorption; crocetin (aglycone) is lipid-soluble with absorption enhanced by dietary fat; safranal is volatile and partially absorbed via inhalation and oral routes; picrocrocin undergoes hydrolysis in the gut releasing safranal. Extraction studies in the research dossier confirm supercritical CO2 and ethanol-water solvent systems optimize recovery of these distinct compound classes based on their differing polarities.
Reported Mechanism (Provisional)
Saffron's primary bioactive compounds crocin and safranal interact with serotonin and dopamine pathways in the central nervous system. Crocin exhibits antioxidant properties by scavenging free radicals and modulating cytokine production. Safranal influences GABA receptors and may affect acetylcholine activity.
Clinical Narrative (Provisional)
Evidence grade: moderate with important certainty and standardization limits. Finished-product efficacy is not established by ingredient-dose similarity alone.
Also Known As
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