The Protective Effects of Saffron Extract "Crocus sativus'' on Oxidative Stress Reduction in Male Rats with Parkinson’s Disease

Parkinson's disease (PD) is among the most common neurodegenerative disorders. Given the powerful antioxidant effects of the saffron extract on the removal of free radicals, this study aimed to investigate the protective effects of the saffron extract on reducing oxidative stress in a rat model of Parkinson's disease pretreated with saffron. In this experimental study, 35 male rats weighing approximately 250±50 g were assigned randomly into five groups, namely control, sham (ascorbate-saline), Parkinsonian rats induced by 6-hydroxydopamine, Parkinsonian rats pretreated with saffron extract (5 μg/rat for 5 days), and Parkinsonian rats pretreated with saffron extract (10 μg/rat for 5 days). The rat models were subjected to intracerebroventricular injection of 6-hydroxydopamine (2.5μg/μl). Moreover, Total Antioxidant Activity (TAC), Malondialdehyde (MDA) level, the enzyme activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD), and Glutathione Peroxidase (GPX) were measured in the midbrain using a special kit.
Ethics code: 52.13267 According to the results, there were differences between the control group, the groups pretreated with saffron and Parkinsonian rats regarding the level of TAC (P<0.01). In addition, saffron extract significantly reduced the level of MDA production (P<0.01). Moreover, there was an increase in the activity levels of SOD and GPX in the midbrain (P<0.05). It seems that a part of the protective effect of the saffron extract against 6-hydroxydopamine can be attributed to the property that increases the capacity of antioxidant enzymes and decreases the production of free radicals.