Related Experiment Video

Updated: Feb 13, 2026

Analysis of Oxidative Stress in Zebrafish Embryos
11:05

Analysis of Oxidative Stress in Zebrafish Embryos

Published on: July 7, 2014

38.2K

Protective effects of saffron and its active components against oxidative stress and apoptosis in endothelial cells

Niloufar Rahiman1, Maryam Akaberi2, Amirhossein Sahebkar3

  • 1Department of Pharmacodynamics and Toxicology, School of Pharmacy, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.

Microvascular Research
|March 11, 2018
PubMed

Insights

Saffron compounds, including safranal and crocin, protect bovine aortic endothelial cells from oxidative stress by reducing reactive oxygen species and apoptosis. These effects are mediated by mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathways.

Area of Science:

  • Biochemistry
  • Cell Biology
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Oxidative stress is a major contributor to endothelial dysfunction.
  • Saffron and its constituents possess known antioxidant properties.
  • Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathways play critical roles in cellular responses to stress.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the protective mechanisms of saffron extract, essential oil, safranal, and crocin against oxidative injury in bovine aortic endothelial cells.
  • To elucidate the role of MAPK signaling pathways in mediating these protective effects.

Main Methods:

  • Cell viability was assessed using resazurin assay following hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) exposure.
  • Reactive oxygen species (ROS) production was measured using dichlorodihydrofluorescin diacetate.
  • Apoptosis was quantified via propidium iodide staining and DNA fragmentation analysis.
  • Western blotting was employed to detect apoptosis-related proteins and MAPK pathway activation (SAPK/JNK, ERK1/2).

Main Results:

  • Saffron extract, saffron oil, safranal, and crocin significantly improved cell viability and reduced ROS levels in H2O2-treated cells.
  • Crocin and safranal demonstrated a dose-dependent decrease in apoptosis.
  • The protective effects of crocin and safranal were linked to the activation of SAPK/JNK and inhibition of ERK1/2 within the MAPK pathways.

Conclusions:

  • Saffron and its active compounds, safranal and crocin, exhibit significant antioxidant and anti-apoptotic properties in endothelial cells.
  • These protective effects are mediated through the modulation of MAPK signaling pathways.
  • Saffron constituents hold therapeutic potential for managing endothelial dysfunction.
Keywords:
CrocinEndothelial dysfunctionMAPKSaffronSafranal

More Related Videos

Activation of Apoptosis by Cytoplasmic Microinjection of Cytochrome c07:42

Activation of Apoptosis by Cytoplasmic Microinjection of Cytochrome c

Published on: June 29, 2011

17.9K
Imaging Approaches to Assessments of Toxicological Oxidative Stress Using Genetically-encoded Fluorogenic Sensors09:33

Imaging Approaches to Assessments of Toxicological Oxidative Stress Using Genetically-encoded Fluorogenic Sensors

Published on: February 7, 2018

7.9K

Related Concept Videos

Components of Stress01:23

Components of Stress

Stress analysis under multiple loading conditions is intricate, necessitating a comprehensive grasp of normal and shearing stresses. Consider a small cube at point O, subjected to stress on all six faces, visible or not. Normal stress components σx, σy, σz act perpendicularly to the x, y, and z axes. Shearing stress components τxy and τxz are exerted on faces perpendicular to these axes.
Interestingly, the hidden cube faces also experience these stresses, equal and...
556
Apoptosis01:30

Apoptosis

Apoptosis is a combination of two Greek words, 'apo' and 'ptosis,' meaning separation and falling off, respectively. Hippocrates used this word to describe gangrene, which was caused due to bandaging of fractured bones. Apoptosis was distinguished from necrosis in 1970 when John Kerr reported observations of morphological changes occurring during apoptosis. During one experiment, he observed that the disruption of blood supply to the liver tissue resulted in a size...
15.3K
Responses to Heat and Cold Stress02:45

Responses to Heat and Cold Stress

Every organism has an optimum temperature range within which healthy growth and physiological functioning can occur. At the ends of this range, there will be a minimum and maximum temperature that interrupt biological processes.
14.9K
Oxidation Numbers03:14

Oxidation Numbers

In redox reactions, the transfer of electrons occurs between reacting species. Electron transfer is described by a hypothetical number called the oxidation number (or oxidation state). It represents the effective charge of an atom or element, which is assigned using a set of rules.
43.1K
Pyruvate Oxidation01:15

Pyruvate Oxidation

After glycolysis, the charged pyruvate molecules enter the mitochondria via active transport and undergo three enzymatic reactions. These reactions ensure that pyruvate can enter the next metabolic pathway so that energy stored in the pyruvate molecules can be harnessed by the cells.
First, the enzyme pyruvate dehydrogenase removes the carboxyl group from pyruvate and releases it as carbon dioxide. The stripped molecule is then oxidized and releases electrons, which are then picked up by NAD+...
169.4K
Responses to Salt Stress02:02

Responses to Salt Stress

Salt stress—which can be triggered by high salt concentrations in a plant’s environment—can significantly affect plant growth and crop production by influencing photosynthesis and the absorption of water and nutrients.
14.7K