International Journal of Scientific Research and Engineering Development

Background and objective:
Cancer is a serious global health issue that greatly impact patient life expectancy and quality of life. Natural products from plant, such as saffron which contain crocin, may help prevent or treat various cancers. Saffron, derived from the crocus sativus plant, primarily contain crocin.it has been used traditionally as a folk medicine and has shown promise in preventing cancer. This review aims to discuss recent research on how saffron and crocin may help in managing cancer and to explore the mechanism behinds their effects.
Methods:
Researchers reviewed English-language publications from January 1980 to September 2022 about the effects of saffron and its component Saffron’s bitter taste comes from a compound known as β-D-glucoside.crocin on cancer using databases like PubMed, SciFinder, and Web of Science.
Key content and finding:
This article first explains the chemical studies of this plant. It then discusses how saffron and crocin affect human cancer cells. Saffron and crocin have strong effects in stopping the growth of human cancer cell lines. They are effective against several types, such as colorectal cancer, breast cancer, lung cancer, prostate cancer, cervical cancer, leukemia, glioblastoma, and rhabdomyosarcoma. The text summarizes mechanisms related to cancer treatment, including stopping the cell cycle, causing cell death through caspases, affecting tumor metabolism via signaling pathways, and managing immune system-related inflammation.