Crocetin as an Active Secondary Metabolite of Saffron Stigma and Anticancer Effects

In order to try to increase the effectiveness of cancer therapeutic procedures, natural carotenoids attract lots of attention. Crocetin is one of the main carotenoids of saffron whose anticancer properties have been shown in recent decades. This study aimed to review previous in vitro and in vivo investigations on anticancer effects of this carotenoid and also proposed molecular mechanisms of its action. Literature reviewing between 1990 and 2017 was performed using pubmed and scopus databases. Anti-proliferative and pro-apoptotic effects of crocetin have been observed in several cancers cell lines and also model organisms that might be due to the alternation in the expression of cancer-related genes and epigenetic changes. Moreover, several studies indicated synergistic effects of crocetin with common chemotherapy agents and mentioned it as a potential novel adjuvant therapy.