Psychotropic Effects of Saffron: A Brief Evidence-based Overview of the Interaction Between a Persian Herb and Mental Health

Saffron is the dried stigma of a plant named Crocus sativus L. and has been known as the world’s most expensive spice and a widely used medicinal plant. Indeed, saffron is a Persian herb with a history as long as Persian Empire (1). Saffron could be found throughout the world; however, Iran accounts for 90% of the world’s whole saffron and is the origin of the most researches conducted on the potential medical utilities of this expensive spice (2). Beyond the traditional uses of saffron for treating some conditions such as stomachache or impaired digestion, this spice has shown hypolipidemic, hypotensive, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, neuroendocrine, and neuroprotective effects (3,4). Moreover, it has been exhibited that saffron and its active constituents can increase the reuptake inhibition of dopamine and norepinephrine, antagonize N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors, and agonize Gamma Aminobutyric Acid (GABA) receptors (5). There is mounting evidence proposing psychoprotective properties of saffron in different neurological and psychiatric settings.