Anticancer Research
It is a natural apocarotenoid dicarboxylic acid obtained from saffron, and saffron isa spice from the flower of the Saffron crocus and present in the dry stigmas of theplant Crocus sativus which can be used as a food colorant. It is reported to be anovel anticancer agent against hepatocellular carcinoma, pancreatic cancer, lungcancer, skin carcinoma, breast cancer, and colorectal cancer. It inhibits the nucleicacid synthesis, enhances antioxidant system, induces apoptosis, hinders growthfactor signaling pathways, and thus affects the growth of cancer cells. It showseffects in the reduction of LPS-induced nitric oxide release; in the reduction ofproduced IL-1β, TNF-α, and intracellular ROS; in the activation of NF-κB; and inthe blockade of LPS (Wang et al. 2012; Gutheil et al. 2012).
