The effect of cattle manure vermicompost on antioxidant activities and active components of Saffron (Crocus sativus L.) stigmas and petals

This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of different rates of vermicompost manure on biochemical characteristics and active ingredients of saffron based on a randomized complete block design with different vermicompost rates (0, 5, 10, 15t/ha) as treatments in three replications. According to the results, vermicompost had a significant effect on picrocrocin (taste), safranal (perfume) and crocin (color) of content of Saffron. The highest picrocrocin and safranal were gained in 15 t/ha of vermicompost (with 37.88% & 17.06%, respectively) and these lowest were observed in control (with 25.78% & 8.5%, respectively). Also, 10 and 15 t/ha vermicompost, caused 60% increasement in crocin content compared to control. Although petals phenol content was not significantly affected by vermicompost rates, but anthocyanin and antioxidant content of petals were significantly affected. As the highest anthocyanin, content was gained from 10 t/ha of vermicompost (16.43mg/100g) and the lowest was obtained from control (8.34mg/100g). Also the highest antioxidant content of petals was observed in 10 t/ha vermicompost (34.90%). In general, the results of this study showed that the use of vermicompost at the rates of 10 and 15 t per ha can improved the amount of active ingredients of saffron.