{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,17]],"date-time":"2026-04-17T22:37:29Z","timestamp":1776465449345,"version":"3.51.2"},"reference-count":43,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"14","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,8]],"date-time":"2025-07-08T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1751932800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Tuscany Region"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Molecules"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Saffron, branded as Repron\u00ae, is effective in slowing the progression of several neurodegenerative diseases. Its production, however, requires specific cultivation techniques and procedures that, together with low yields, make it expensive. To address this challenge, hydroponic cultivation has been adopted. Previous studies have shown that hydroponically cultivated saffron and Repron\u00ae share comparable chemical compositions and neuroprotective effects under oxidative stress conditions. In this study, we evaluated the protective properties of extracts derived from Crocus sativus L. waste, compared with those of saffron derived from stigmas. Human retinal pigment epithelium (ARPE-19) cells were pre-treated with extracts of various plant waste fractions before being subjected to three stress conditions: H2O2-induced oxidative stress (500 \u03bcM, 3 h), lipopolysaccharide (LPS; 0.25 mg\/mL, 24 h), and hyperglycemia (25 mM glucose, 96 h). Saffron Repron\u00ae served as a positive control. The results revealed that the extract derived from C. sativus waste had superior protective effects against oxidative stress and inflammation by preserving the state of the mitochondria and tight junctions (ZO-1); conversely, the tepal extract alone was more effective under hyperglycemic conditions by also modulating acrolein levels. These results suggest that different plant fractions contain bioactive compounds with specific protective actions, which together lead to increased cell survival.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/molecules30142894","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,8]],"date-time":"2025-07-08T07:31:57Z","timestamp":1751959917000},"page":"2894","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["In Vitro Evaluation of the Protective Efficacy of Crocus sativus L. Waste for the Sustainable Development of Bioactive Phytocomplexes"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"30","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0007-9628-6152","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Alessia","family":"Galante","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pharmacy, University of Pisa, Via Bonanno 6, 56126 Pisa, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Francesca","family":"Corsi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pharmacy, University of Pisa, Via Bonanno 6, 56126 Pisa, Italy"},{"name":"National Institute of Biostructures and Biosystems (INBB), Via Medaglie d\u2019Oro 305, 00136 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Emily","family":"Cioni","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pharmacy, University of Pisa, Via Bonanno 6, 56126 Pisa, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Mauro","family":"Di Stasi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pharmacy, University of Pisa, Via Bonanno 6, 56126 Pisa, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-2474-4672","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Maria Anna","family":"Maggi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Hortus Novus Srl, Via Campo Sportivo 2, 67050 Canistro, Italy"},{"name":"Department of Physical and Chemical Sciences, University of L\u2019Aquila, 67100 Coppito, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-4157-111X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Silvia","family":"Bisti","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"National Institute of Biostructures and Biosystems (INBB), Via Medaglie d\u2019Oro 305, 00136 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5073-7583","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ilaria","family":"Piano","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pharmacy, University of Pisa, Via Bonanno 6, 56126 Pisa, Italy"},{"name":"National Institute of Biostructures and Biosystems (INBB), Via Medaglie d\u2019Oro 305, 00136 Rome, Italy"},{"name":"CISUP, Center for Instrument Sharing of the University of Pisa, University of Pisa, Lungarno Pacinotti 43\/44, 56126 Pisa, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Claudia","family":"Gargini","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pharmacy, University of Pisa, Via Bonanno 6, 56126 Pisa, Italy"},{"name":"National Institute of Biostructures and Biosystems (INBB), Via Medaglie d\u2019Oro 305, 00136 Rome, Italy"},{"name":"CISUP, Center for Instrument Sharing of the University of Pisa, University of Pisa, Lungarno Pacinotti 43\/44, 56126 Pisa, Italy"},{"name":"Interdepartmental Center for Nutraceutical Research and Foods for Health (NUTRAFOOD), University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,8]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1634","DOI":"10.1111\/jphp.12456","article-title":"Saffron: A Natural Product with Potential Pharmaceutical Applications","volume":"67","author":"Christodoulou","year":"2015","journal-title":"J. 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