{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,14]],"date-time":"2026-10-14T06:18:53Z","timestamp":1791958733504,"version":"4.3.4"},"reference-count":49,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"23","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2020,11,29]],"date-time":"2020-11-29T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1606608000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Molecules"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Crocus sativus L. belongs to the Iridaceae family and it is commonly known as saffron. The different cultures together with the geoclimatic characteristics of the territory determine a different chemical composition that characterizes the final product. This is why a complete knowledge of this product is fundamental, from which more than 150 chemical compounds have been extracted from, but only about one third of them have been identified. The chemical composition of saffron has been studied in relation to its efficacy in coping with neurodegenerative retinal diseases. Accordingly, experimental results provide evidence of a strict correlation between chemical composition and neuroprotective capacity. We found that saffron\u2019s ability to cope with retinal neurodegeneration is related to: (1) the presence of specific crocins and (2) the contribution of other saffron components. We summarize previous evidence and provide original data showing that results obtained both \u201cin vivo\u201d and \u201cin vitro\u201d lead to the same conclusion.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/molecules25235618","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2020,11,29]],"date-time":"2020-11-29T21:55:31Z","timestamp":1606686931000},"page":"5618","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":60,"title":["Saffron: Chemical Composition and Neuroprotective Activity"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"25","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-2474-4672","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Maria Anna","family":"Maggi","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Hortus Novus srl, via Campo Sportivo 2, 67050 Canistro, Italy"},{"name":"Department of Phyisical and Chemical Sciences, University of L\u2019Aquila, Via Vetoio, 67100 Coppito, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Silvia","family":"Bisti","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Biotecnology and Applied Clinical Sciences, DISCAB, University of L\u2019Aquila, Via Vetoio, 67100 Coppito, Italy"},{"name":"National Institute of Biostructure and Biosystem (INBB), V. le Medaglie D\u2019Oro 305, 00136 Roma, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6512-1802","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Cristiana","family":"Picco","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"National Institute of Biostructure and Biosystem (INBB), V. le Medaglie D\u2019Oro 305, 00136 Roma, Italy"},{"name":"Institute of Biophysics, National Research Council, Via De Marini 6, 16149 Genova, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2020,11,29]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"3125","DOI":"10.1021\/jf4057023","article-title":"Flavonoid Determination in the Quality Control of Floral Bioresidues from Crocus sativus L.","volume":"62","author":"Sanchez","year":"2014","journal-title":"J. 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