{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,22]],"date-time":"2026-07-22T06:06:30Z","timestamp":1784700390690,"version":"3.55.0"},"reference-count":83,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,22]],"date-time":"2026-07-22T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1784678400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100004728","name":"VIT University","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100004728","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Mol. Neurosci."],"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Introduction<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>\n                      Chronic cold stress acts as an influential environmental stressor that disrupts neuro-behavioral functions, which include anxiety responses, cognitive performance, mood regulation, and stress susceptibility. In spite of the growing recognition of cold-induced neuropathology, effective therapeutic strategies remain limited.\n                      <jats:italic>Crocus sativus<\/jats:italic>\n                      (saffron) extract, and its principle bioactive constituents (crocin, crocetin, safranal) have emerged as effective neuroprotectants. They elicit potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties and have beneficial effects on cognitive functions, memory, and anxiety-related behaviors. However, their potency in cold-induced neuropathology remains obscure.\n                    <\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Structured phytochemical characterization of saffron extract was performed using UV-visible spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, and high-performance liquid chromatography. The antioxidant profile of the extract using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging activity was analyzed, along with the assessment of total phenolic content, total flavonoid content and moisture content. Chronic cold exposure was induced at 4\u00b0C for 30 min\/day over a period of 4 weeks. Neurobehavioral parameters of general exploration, anxiety, and memory were evaluated using established behavioral assessment paradigms of open field, elevated plus maze, Y-maze, and novel object recognition, respectively.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>\n                      Phytochemical characterization of saffron extract confirmed the presence of major bioactive constituents, including crocin and safranal. Additionally, a high phenolic and flavonoid content was supported by a robust antioxidant activity\n                      <jats:italic>in vitro<\/jats:italic>\n                      . Behavioral analysis revealed that cold stress significantly impaired memory and increased anxiety-like behavior, whereas oral supplementation of saffron extract reduced anxiety, improved spontaneous alternation and enhanced object recognition memory.\n                    <\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Saffron extract enhances neurobehavioral functions, significantly ameliorating cold stress-induced cognitive deficits and anxiety-like behavior. While these findings support its neuroprotective potential in stress-related neuropsychiatric disorders, the underlying mechanisms require further investigation.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.3389\/fnmol.2026.1872086","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,22]],"date-time":"2026-07-22T05:52:47Z","timestamp":1784699567000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Crocus sativus improves cognitive functions and reduces anxiety-like behavior in aged rats exposed to chronic cold temperature-induced stress"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"19","author":[{"given":"Vijayan","family":"Priya","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Integrative Biology, School of Biosciences and Technology, Vellore Institute of Technology","place":["Vellore, India"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Faraz","family":"Ahmad","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Integrative Biology, School of Biosciences and Technology, Vellore Institute of Technology","place":["Vellore, India"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,22]]},"reference":[{"key":"B1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"136912","DOI":"10.1016\/j.neulet.2022.136912","article-title":"Crocin, the main active saffron (Crocus sativus L.) constituent, as a potential candidate to prevent anxiety and depressive-like behaviors induced by unpredictable chronic mild stress.","volume":"791","author":"Abbaszade-Cheragheali","year":"2022","journal-title":"Neurosci. 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