{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,30]],"date-time":"2026-09-30T23:06:45Z","timestamp":1790809605246,"version":"4.1.0"},"reference-count":48,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"11","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2020,11,9]],"date-time":"2020-11-09T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1604880000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Antioxidants"],"abstract":"<jats:p>The petals of the saffron crocus (Crocus sativus L.) are considered a waste material in saffron production, but may be a sustainable source of natural biologically active substances of nutraceutical interest. The aim of this work was to study the cardiovascular effects of kaempferol and crocin extracted from saffron petals. The antiarrhythmic, inotropic, and chronotropic effects of saffron petal extract (SPE), kaempferol, and crocin were evaluated through in vitro biological assays. The antioxidant activity of kaempferol and crocin was investigated through the 2\u2032,7\u2032-dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate (DCFH-DA) assay using rat cardiomyoblast cell line H9c2. The MTT assay was applied to assess the effects of kaempferol and crocin on cell viability. SPE showed weak negative inotropic and chronotropic intrinsic activities but a significant intrinsic activity on smooth muscle with a potency on the ileum greater than on the aorta: EC50 = 0.66 mg\/mL versus EC50 = 1.45 mg\/mL. Kaempferol and crocin showed a selective negative inotropic activity. In addition, kaempferol decreased the contraction induced by KCl (80 mM) in guinea pig aortic and ileal strips, while crocin had no effect. Furthermore, following oxidative stress, both crocin and kaempferol decreased intracellular ROS formation and increased cell viability in a concentration-dependent manner. The results indicate that SPE, a by-product of saffron cultivation, may represent a good source of phytochemicals with a potential application in the prevention of cardiovascular diseases.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/antiox9111102","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2020,11,9]],"date-time":"2020-11-09T19:08:29Z","timestamp":1604948909000},"page":"1102","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":37,"title":["Activity of Antioxidants from Crocus sativus L. Petals: Potential Preventive Effects towards Cardiovascular System"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"9","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3727-9522","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Keti","family":"Zeka","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Haematology, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, University of Cambridge, Long Road, Cambridge CB2 0PT, UK"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6644-5828","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Pasquale","family":"Marrazzo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department for Life Quality Studies, Alma Mater Studiorum-University of Bologna, Corso d\u2019Augusto 237, 47921 Rimini, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3525-1531","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Matteo","family":"Micucci","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Nutraceutical Lab, Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, Alma Mater Studiorum, University of Bologna, Via Belmeloro 6, 40126 Bologna, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ketan C.","family":"Ruparelia","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Leicester School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, De Montfort University, The Gateway, Leicester LE1 9BH, UK"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-0672-7927","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Randolph R. J.","family":"Arroo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Leicester School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, De Montfort University, The Gateway, Leicester LE1 9BH, UK"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-9182-0586","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Guido","family":"Macchiarelli","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences, University of L\u2019Aquila, Via Vetoio, Coppito 2, 67100 L\u2019Aquila, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Stefania","family":"Annarita Nottola","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Anatomy, Histology, Forensic Medicine and Orthopaedics, La Sapienza University of Rome, 00161 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Maria Adelaide","family":"Continenza","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences, University of L\u2019Aquila, Via Vetoio, Coppito 2, 67100 L\u2019Aquila, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Alberto","family":"Chiarini","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Nutraceutical Lab, Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, Alma Mater Studiorum, University of Bologna, Via Belmeloro 6, 40126 Bologna, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6731-6187","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Cristina","family":"Angeloni","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Pharmacy, University of Camerino, Via Madonna delle Carceri 9, 62032 Camerino (MC), Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7857-4512","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Silvana","family":"Hrelia","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department for Life Quality Studies, Alma Mater Studiorum-University of Bologna, Corso d\u2019Augusto 237, 47921 Rimini, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-8454-9740","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Roberta","family":"Budriesi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Nutraceutical Lab, Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, Alma Mater Studiorum, University of Bologna, Via Belmeloro 6, 40126 Bologna, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2020,11,9]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"112222","DOI":"10.1016\/j.phytochem.2019.112222","article-title":"Antihypertensive phytocomplexes of proven efficacy and well-established use: Mode of action and individual characterization of the active constituents","volume":"170","author":"Micucci","year":"2020","journal-title":"Phytochemistry"},{"key":"ref_2","first-page":"1","article-title":"Review of anti-diabetic medicinal plant used in traditional medicine","volume":"1","author":"Fakhrzadeh","year":"2006","journal-title":"J. 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