Wednesday Sep 17, 2014 (foodconsumer.org) -- A new Italian study suggests that carotenoids, crocins, found high in saffron (Crocus sativus L.), and crocetin esters, which are produced in the gastrointestinal tract after saffron ingestion, both may be used as dietary supplement to prevent or treat prostate cancer.  

The study shows criocins and corcetin esters have a potent anticancer activity in prostate cancer cell cultures and prostate cancer xenografted male nude mice.  

Researchers' early studies have also shown that saffron and crocin have an anticancer activity against prostate cancer by promoting cell cycle arrest.  

The current study demonstrates that crocetin esters are more potent than saffron and crocins.  This study suggests that carotenoids isolated from saffron and other herbs or plants may be used as a preventative or therapeutical to prevent or treat prostate cancer.  (David Liu)

Claudio Festuccia, Andrea Mancini, Giovanni Luca Gravina, Luca Scarsella, Silvia Llorens, Gonzalo L. Alonso, Carla Tatone, Ernesto Di Cesare, Emmanuele A. Jannini, Andrea Lenzi, Anna M. D’Alessandro, and Manuel Carmona, Antitumor Effects of Saffron-Derived Carotenoids in Prostate Cancer Cell Models, BioMed Research International, Volume 2014 (2014), http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2014/135048