Frontiers in Nutrition (Dec 2022)

Crocin: Functional characteristics, extraction, food applications and efficacy against brain related disorders

  • Anwar Ali,
  • Liang Yu,
  • Safura Kousar,
  • Waseem Khalid,
  • Zahra Maqbool,
  • Afifa Aziz,
  • Muhammad Sajid Arshad,
  • Rana Muhammad Aadil,
  • Monica Trif,
  • Sakhawat Riaz,
  • Sakhawat Riaz,
  • Horia Shaukat,
  • Muhammad Faisal Manzoor,
  • Muhammad Faisal Manzoor,
  • Hong Qin

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2022.1009807
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 9

Abstract

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Crocin is a bioactive compound that naturally occurs in some medicinal plants, especially saffron and gardenia fruit. Different conventional and novel methods are used for its extraction. Due to some control conditions, recent methods such as ultrasonic extraction, supercritical fluid extraction, enzyme-associated extraction, microwave extraction, and pulsed electric field extraction are widely used because these methods give more yield and efficiency. Crocin is incorporated into different food products to make functional foods. However, it can also aid in the stability of food products. Due to its ability to protect against brain diseases, the demand for crocin has been rising in the pharmaceutical industry. It also contain antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anticancer and antidepressant qualities. This review aims to describe crocin and its role in developing functional food, extraction, and bioavailability in various brain-related diseases. The results of the literature strongly support the importance of crocin against various diseases and its use in making different functional foods.

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