Wild Crocus haussknechtii (Boiss. & Reut. ex Maw) Boiss. Stigmas as a Rich Source for Crocin Extraction

Crocus haussknechtii (Boiss. & Reut. ex Maw) Boiss., commonly known as wild saffron, is the closest wild relative of cultivated saffron (C. sativus L.). Due to limited information on the presence of expensive chemical compounds responsible for color and aroma in its stigma, this study aimed to compare and measure crocin, picrocrocin, and safranal, (which are responsible for color, taste, and aroma, respectively) in both cultivated and wild saffron using HPLC. Additionally, the volatile metabolites present in the stigmas of both species were identified and quantified using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). C. sativus corms were purchased from saffron cultivation fields in Torbat Heydariyeh, Iran. C. haussknechtii corms were collected from Zagros forests, Ilam, Iran, and cultivated in the field. The results revealed significantly higher levels of all compounds, particularly crocin, in wild saffron than cultivated saffron. The crocin content was ۳۵.۴۹ and ۴۷۸.۹۹ mg/g dry weight in cultivated saffron wild saffron, respectively. GC-MS analysis of C. sati vus stigma identified ۵ major and ۲۶ minor compounds. In contrast, ۶ major compounds and ۱۷ minor compounds were identified in C. haussknechtii stigma. These findings showed that the surprising amount of crocin in this unknown wild species suggested the value of further studies on this species.

کلیدواژه ها:

GC-MS ، HPLC ، picrocrocin ، safranal ، Metabolites