Extraction and Purification of Saffron Bioactive Components

Saffron is the world's most expensive spice and due to its bioactive components including crocin, picrocrocin and safranal have numerous nutritional properties and unique organoleptic features. Therefore, extraction and purification of these components is of great importance for use in food and drug industries. Various methods including soaking, steam distilation, ultrasound, supercritical fluid, solid phase extraction and crystalization is evaluated in this way. Each of these methods have certain advantages and disadvantages. For saffron component purification purpose, usually a combination of two extraction methods is used. Extraction of saffron extract through soaking method followed by injection the obtained extract into a column containing solid-phase is a way to purify the active ingredients. In this study, various methods of extraction and purification of saffron bioactive components is evaluated.