Escribano J, Alonso G L, Coca-Prados M, Fernandez J A
Sección de Biotecnología, Instituto de Desarrollo Regional, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, Albacete, Spain.
Cancer Lett. 1996 Feb 27;100(1-2):23-30. doi: 10.1016/0304-3835(95)04067-6.
Extracts of saffron (Crocus sativus L.) have been reported to inhibit cell growth of human tumor cells. In order to study the cytotoxic effect of the characteristic compounds of saffron spice, we have isolated crocin, crocetin, picrocrocin and safranal. Doses inducing 50% cell growth inhibition (LD50) on HeLa cells were 2.3 mg/ml for an ethanolic extract of saffron dry stigmas, 3 mM for crocin, 0.8 mM for safranal and 3 mM for picrocrocin. Crocetin did not show cytotoxic effect. Cells treated with crocin exhibited wide cytoplasmic vacuole-like areas, reduced cytoplasm, cell shrinkage and pyknotic nuclei, suggesting apoptosis induction. Considering its water-solubility and high inhibitory growth effect, crocin is the more promising saffron compound to be assayed as a cancer therapeutic agent.
据报道，藏红花（番红花）提取物可抑制人类肿瘤细胞的生长。为了研究藏红花香料特征化合物的细胞毒性作用，我们分离出了藏花素、藏红花酸、苦藏花素和藏红醛。藏红花干柱头乙醇提取物对HeLa细胞诱导50%细胞生长抑制（LD50）的剂量为2.3mg/ml，藏花素为3mM，藏红醛为0.8mM，苦藏花素为3mM。藏红花酸未表现出细胞毒性作用。用藏花素处理的细胞呈现出广泛的细胞质空泡样区域、细胞质减少、细胞皱缩和核固缩，提示诱导细胞凋亡。考虑到其水溶性和高生长抑制作用，藏花素是作为癌症治疗药物进行检测的更有前景的藏红花化合物。
