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Review Article

A review of the chemistry and uses of crocins and crocetin, the carotenoid natural dyes in saffron, with particular emphasis on applications as colorants including their use as biological stains

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Pages 401-411 | Accepted 30 Jan 2014, Published online: 25 Mar 2014

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Read on this site (6)

Paraskevi Pantazopoulou, Sofia Kalogeropoulou, Stamatina Theohari, Eleftherios Papamichalis & Demeter Tzeli. (2023) Evaluation of Crocin as green corrosion inhibitor for aluminum in NaCl solution. Chemical Engineering Communications 210:10, pages 1756-1772.
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Vinay Kumar Chauhan. (2022) Intricate Features of Pashmina Kani Shawl – Overview. Journal of Natural Fibers 19:17, pages 15690-15703.
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Shahid Adeel, Mahwish Salman, Shazia Anwar Bukhari, Khadija Kareem, Fazal-ur- Rehman, Atya Hassan & Mohammad Zuber. (2020) Eco-friendly food products as source of natural colorant for wool yarn dyeing. Journal of Natural Fibers 17:5, pages 635-649.
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Fatemeh Soltani, Mohammad Ramezani, Sara Amel Farzad, Ahad Mokhtarzadeh & Maryam Hashemi. (2017) Comparison study of the effect of alkyl-modified and unmodified PAMAM and PPI dendrimers on solubility and antitumor activity of crocetin. Artificial Cells, Nanomedicine, and Biotechnology 45:7, pages 1356-1362.
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Zohreh Hafezi Ghahestani, Fatemeh Alebooye Langroodi, Ahad Mokhtarzadeh, Mohammad Ramezani & Maryam Hashemi. (2017) Evaluation of anti-cancer activity of PLGA nanoparticles containing crocetin. Artificial Cells, Nanomedicine, and Biotechnology 45:5, pages 955-960.
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M Hope-Roberts & RW Horobin. (2017) A review of curcumin as a biological stain and as a self-visualizing pharmaceutical agent. Biotechnic & Histochemistry 92:5, pages 315-323.
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Articles from other publishers (68)

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Yachana Mishra & Vijay Mishra. (2023) Multifaceted roles of crocin, phytoconstituent of Crocus sativus L. in cancer treatment: An expanding horizon. South African Journal of Botany 160, pages 456-468.
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Mousa Sadeghi-Kiakhani, Elaheh Hashemi, Fateme Sadat Miri, Ali R. Tehrani-Bagha & Seyed Masoud Etezad. (2023) Dyeing of Nylon Fabric with Two Natural Dyes, Saffron (Crocus sativus L.) and Weld (Reseda luteola L.), and Study Their Dyeing, Antioxidant, and Antibacterial Properties. Fibers and Polymers 24:3, pages 1083-1092.
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Mariam Sanjari‐Pour, Nassim Faridi, Ping Wang & S. Zahra Bathaie. (2023) Protective effect of saffron carotenoids against amyloid b eta‐induced neurotoxicity in differentiated PC12 cells via the unfolded protein response and autophagy . Phytotherapy Research.
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Mattia Di Paolo, Francesca Corsi, Maria Maggi, Luca Nardi, Silvia Bisti, Ilaria Piano & Claudia Gargini. (2023) Efficacy of Hydroponically Cultivated Saffron in the Preservation of Retinal Pigment Epithelium. Molecules 28:4, pages 1699.
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Arash Ghalehgolabbehbahani, Olav Vestrheim, Margaret Skinner, Jianing Li & Severin T. Schneebeli. (2022) Nuclear Magnetic Resonance-Based Quality Assessment of Vermont-Grown Saffron ( Crocus sativus L.)─Optimal Drying Conditions and Mechanistic Implications . ACS Food Science & Technology 2:2, pages 315-320.
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Jun Wu, Jiangtao Zhang, Xin Yu, Yue Shu, Siyu Zhang & Yinglao Zhang. (2020) Extraction optimization by using response surface methodology and purification of yellow pigment from Gardenia jasminoides var. radicans Makikno . Food Science & Nutrition 9:2, pages 822-832.
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Cassandra Ceccopieri, Joanna Skonieczna & Jan P. Madej. (2021) Modification of a haematoxylin, eosin, and natural saffron staining method for the detection of connective tissue. Journal of Veterinary Research 65:1, pages 125-130.
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Zahra Allahdad, Anahita Khammari, Leila Karami, Atiyeh Ghasemi, Vladimir A. Sirotkin, Thomas Haertlé & Ali Akbar Saboury. (2020) Binding studies of crocin to β-Lactoglobulin and its impacts on both components. Food Hydrocolloids 108, pages 106003.
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Zhifeng Zhao, Bin Zheng, Jinghan Li, Ziheng Wei, Sijie Chu, Xue Han, Li Chu, Hongfang Wang & Xi Chu. (2020) Influence of Crocetin, a Natural Carotenoid Dicarboxylic Acid in Saffron, on L-Type Ca<sup>2+</sup> Current, Intracellular Ca<sup>2+</sup> Handling and Contraction of Isolated Rat Cardiomyocytes. Biological and Pharmaceutical Bulletin 43:9, pages 1367-1374.
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S. Chaouqi, M. Lage, N. Moratalla-López, M.J. Bagur, G.L. Alonso & T. Guedira. (2020) Quality of saffron spice: coloring strength. Acta Horticulturae:1287, pages 411-418.
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Ahmad Nasimian, Parvaneh Farzaneh, Fuyuhiko Tamanoi & S. Zahra Bathaie. (2020) Cytosolic and mitochondrial ROS production resulted in apoptosis induction in breast cancer cells treated with Crocin: The role of FOXO3a, PTEN and AKT signaling. Biochemical Pharmacology 177, pages 113999.
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Ka Hong Wong, Yuning Xie, Xiao Huang, Kazunori Kadota, Xin-Sheng Yao, Yang Yu, Xiaoyu Chen, Aiping Lu & Zhijun Yang. (2020) Delivering Crocetin across the Blood-Brain Barrier by Using γ-Cyclodextrin to Treat Alzheimer’s Disease. Scientific Reports 10:1.
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Hossein Khoshsang & Ali Ghaffarinejad. (2018) Rapid removal of lead (II) ions from aqueous solutions by saffron flower waste as a green biosorbent. Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering 6:5, pages 6021-6027.
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Fereshteh Bahmani, Seyedeh Bathaie, Seyed Aldavood & Arezou Ghahghaei. (2016) Inhibitory Effect of Crocin(s) on Lens α-Crystallin Glycation and Aggregation, Results in the Decrease of the Risk of Diabetic Cataract. Molecules 21:2, pages 143.
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