Anti Cancer Potential of Saffron in Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the fifth most common cancer and the third leading cause of cancer mortality in the world. Chronic infection with hepatitis B and C is the major risk factors for HCC worldwide. Other factors that contribute to the formation of HCC include exposure to environmental carcinogens, iron overload, fatty liver disease, and alcohol abuse.

there has been a sustained rise in its incidence in both developing and developed countries. Despite the growing therapeutic options for patients with cancer, their efficacy is time-limited and non-curative. Hence to overcome these drawbacks, an incessant screening for superior and safer drugs has been ongoing for numerous decades, resulting in the detection of anti-cancer properties of several phytochemicals. Chemoprevention using readily available natural substances from vegetables, fruits, herbs and spices is one of the significantly important approaches for cancer prevention in the present era. Among the spices, saffron has generated interest because pharmacological experiments have established numerous beneficial properties including radical scavenging, anti-mutagenic and immuno-modulating effects.

Saffron is a naturally derived plant product from the dried stigma of the Crocus sativus flower (family Iridaceae) that may have biologically useful properties. In fact, saffron extract and its biologically active compounds, including crocin, crocetin, carotene, and safranal, have been shown both in vitro and in vivo to possess antioxidant, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, and memory-improving properties. Saffron is also used in folk medicine as an antispasmodic, antidepressant, and aphrodisiac. Furthermore, it is one of the most commonly used species around the world for flavouring and colouring foods.

Saffron has recently gained considerable interest for its capacity to interfere with cancer at initiation and promotion stages as well as for cancer treatment. Although saffron and its constituents have been shown to have antitumorigenic and proapoptotic activities in different cancer cell lines.