Galante Alessia, Corsi Francesca, Cioni Emily, Di Stasi Mauro, Maggi Maria Anna, Bisti Silvia, Piano Ilaria, Gargini Claudia
Department of Pharmacy, University of Pisa, Via Bonanno 6, 56126 Pisa, Italy.
National Institute of Biostructures and Biosystems (INBB), Via Medaglie d'Oro 305, 00136 Rome, Italy.
Molecules. 2025 Jul 8;30(14):2894. doi: 10.3390/molecules30142894.
Saffron, branded as Repron, is effective in slowing the progression of several neurodegenerative diseases. Its production, however, requires specific cultivation techniques and procedures that, together with low yields, make it expensive. To address this challenge, hydroponic cultivation has been adopted. Previous studies have shown that hydroponically cultivated saffron and Repron share comparable chemical compositions and neuroprotective effects under oxidative stress conditions. In this study, we evaluated the protective properties of extracts derived from L. waste, compared with those of saffron derived from stigmas. Human retinal pigment epithelium (ARPE-19) cells were pre-treated with extracts of various plant waste fractions before being subjected to three stress conditions: HO-induced oxidative stress (500 μM, 3 h), lipopolysaccharide (LPS; 0.25 mg/mL, 24 h), and hyperglycemia (25 mM glucose, 96 h). Saffron Repron served as a positive control. The results revealed that the extract derived from waste had superior protective effects against oxidative stress and inflammation by preserving the state of the mitochondria and tight junctions (ZO-1); conversely, the tepal extract alone was more effective under hyperglycemic conditions by also modulating acrolein levels. These results suggest that different plant fractions contain bioactive compounds with specific protective actions, which together lead to increased cell survival.
藏红花，品牌名为Repron，在减缓几种神经退行性疾病的进展方面有效。然而，其生产需要特定的种植技术和程序，再加上产量低，使其价格昂贵。为应对这一挑战，已采用水培种植法。先前的研究表明，水培种植的藏红花和Repron在氧化应激条件下具有可比的化学成分和神经保护作用。在本研究中，我们评估了从L. waste中提取的提取物与从柱头提取的藏红花提取物相比的保护特性。在经历三种应激条件之前，用人视网膜色素上皮（ARPE-19）细胞对各种植物废料部分的提取物进行预处理：过氧化氢诱导的氧化应激（500 μM，3小时）、脂多糖（LPS；0.25 mg/mL，24小时）和高血糖（25 mM葡萄糖，96小时）。藏红花Repron用作阳性对照。结果表明，从waste中提取的提取物通过维持线粒体和紧密连接（ZO-1）的状态，对氧化应激和炎症具有卓越的保护作用；相反，仅花被提取物在高血糖条件下通过调节丙烯醛水平更有效。这些结果表明，不同的植物部分含有具有特定保护作用的生物活性化合物，这些化合物共同提高细胞存活率。
