Evaluation of Secondary Metabolites, Total Phenol Content and Antioxidant Properties of Petal in Saffron Populations Under Conventional and once Irrigation Conditions

Each year a large amount of saffron petals which make up a significant proportion of saffron flowers are discarded as waste while this part of the flower also contains compounds such as phenol, anthocyanin, flavonoid and antioxidant properties. Two separate experiments were conducted using randomized complete block design with three replications in order to evaluate secondary metabolites, total phenol content and antioxidant capacity of petals in eight saffron populations under normal and once irrigation conditions  at the research farm of university of Zanjan on three year old saffron plants. In order to measure and determine secondary metabolites, total phenol content and antioxidant properties of saffron petal extract, UV-Visible  Metering Spectra, folin-Ciocalteu and DPPH were used, respectively. Combined analysis of variance under normal and once irrigation conditions showed that the difference between secondary metabolites and antioxidant properties was not significant in the two irrigation conditions. While, total phenol content was significantly higher under the once irrigation condition, the  Torbat-e-jam population had highest total phenol content (86.66 mg gallic acid per gram of methanolic extract) under this condition. In both irrigation conditions, the evaluated populations exhibited suitable amounts of picocrocin, safranal, phenol and antioxidant properties which can be considered to be of use for us in the food, pharmaceutical and chemical industries.