Fractionation of Saffron (Crocus sativus L.) Extract by Solid-Phase Extraction and Subsequent Encapsulation in Liposomes Prepared by Reverse-Phase Evaporation
- Author: mycolabadmin
- 11/14/2025
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Summary
Saffron is a valuable spice with powerful health benefits, but its beneficial compounds break down easily and don’t absorb well when eaten. This research developed a special two-step process to extract and purify saffron’s active ingredients, then encapsulated them in tiny fatty spheres called liposomes to protect them in the stomach and improve absorption. The results show that liposomes can effectively trap the beneficial saffron compounds, making them more stable and more likely to reach the tissues where they’re needed.
Background
Saffron (Crocus sativus L.) is a valuable spice rich in bioactive apocarotenoids including crocins, picrocrocin, and safranal, which possess antioxidant, neuroprotective, and anticancer properties. However, the chemical and physicochemical instability of these compounds and their poor oral bioavailability limit their therapeutic applications in functional foods and pharmaceuticals.
Objective
This study aimed to isolate and purify saffron bioactive compounds through hydroalcoholic extraction followed by solid-phase extraction fractionation, and subsequently encapsulate the enriched extracts in liposomes to enhance their bioavailability and gastrointestinal absorption.
Results
The solid-phase extraction protocol achieved 85.4% crocin recovery with high selectivity, separating crocins from picrocrocins. Liposomes demonstrated greater encapsulation capacity for hydrophilic crocins (approximately 90% for cis-4GG, 50% for trans-4GG) compared to picrocrocins (<20%), with encapsulation efficiency inversely proportional to molecular polarity.
Conclusion
The two-step extraction and purification protocol successfully isolated saffron bioactives with sufficient purity for further applications. Liposomal encapsulation, particularly with unsaturated lipids, effectively enhanced the stability and potential bioavailability of saffron’s apocarotenoids for nutraceutical, pharmaceutical, and functional food applications.
- Published in:Molecules,
- Study Type:Experimental Laboratory Study,
- Source: 10.3390/molecules30224408