Talk:Kumkuma
| Section/Chapter | Herb database/Kumkuma |
|---|---|
| Botanical name(s) | Crocus sativus L. |
| Family | Iridaceae |
| Availability | Available |
| Contributors | Team Dravyaguna |
| Year of publication | 2026 |
| Publisher | Charak Samhita Research, Training and Skill Development Centre |
| DOI | Awaited |
Crocus sativus L. (commonly known as Kumkuma or Saffron) is a perennial plant (Iridaceae) whose dried red stigmas form the spice saffron. It is used in Ayurveda in classical formulations and for the conditions listed below.
English name
Saffron
Therapeutic uses
Chardi (vomiting), kasa (cough), vrana (wound), vyanga, siroroga, Drushti roga (eye disease), kantha roga (throat disease), sidhma (skin disease), udavarta (upward movement of air), mutragraha, suryavarta, ardhavabhedaka (migraine)[1]
Synonyms in Charak Samhita
Kumkum, Ghusana, Kashmira (grows in kashmir region), Vahlika (found in bahlika desa)
Synonyms in bhavprakasa nighantu
Rakta (red in colour), Pitakam (imparts yellow colour if mixed with water), varam, sankoch, pishuna (has got strong odour), shonitabhidhyam[2]
Types
Bhavaprakash nighantu
Mentioned 3 types
- Kasmira
- Bahlika
- Parasika
Raja nighantu
Mentioned 2 types[3]
- Kumkuma
- Truna kumjuma
Properties
Kasmira
- Suksmakesarayukta (Small stigma)
- Raktavarna (Red in colour)
- Padmagandhi (Aroma like that of lotus)
Bahlika
- Sukla (White)
- Pita varna (Yellow)
- Ketaki gandha (aroma like pandanus)
- Suksma kesara (Small stigma)
Parasika
- Madhugandha (Honey like odour)
- Isatpandura varna (Whitish in colour)
- Sthulakesara (Bigger stigma)
Ayurvedic pharmacological properties
| Sr.no. | Pharmacological criteria | Properties |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Taste (rasa) | Pungent (katu), Bitter (tikta) |
| 2 | Potency (veerya) | Hot (ushna) |
| 3 | Post digestion effect (vipaka) | Pungent (katu) |
| 4 | Qualities (guna) | Unctuous (snigdha) |
| 5 | Actions (karma) | Pacify Kapha and Vata, imparts complexion to skin (varnya) |
Reference in Charak Samhita and its actions
| Sr.no. | Reference in Charak Samhita | Activity |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cha.Sa.Chikitsa Sthana 23/54 | As an ingredient of Mrita sanjivani agada |
| 2 | Cha.Sa.Chikitsa Sthana 23/78 | As an ingredient of Mahagandha hasti agada |
| 3 | Cha.Sa.Chikitsa Sthana 23/190 | As an ingredient of Mamsyadi yoga |
| 4 | Cha.Sa.Chikitsa Sthana 28/152 | As an ingredient of Bala taila |
| 5 | Cha.Sa.Chikitsa Sthana 28/162 | As an ingredient of Amrutadi taila |
Dose
- 25-50 mg[1]
Important formulations
As per A.P.I.[1]
- Karpuradyarka
- Balarka rasa
- Kumkumadya taila
- Mahanarayan taila
- Pushyanug churna
Current availability
Available
- In India – Cultivated primarily in Jammu & Kashmir.
Current researches
Phytoconstituents
Saffron contains more than 150 volatile and aroma-yielding compounds. Only constituents supported by a checked reference are listed (one reference per class).
| Class | Constituents | Property / role | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apocarotenoids and monoterpene aldehyde | Crocin (crocetin glycoside), picrocrocin, safranal | Crocin gives colour, picrocrocin the bitter taste, safranal the odour and aroma. Crocin hydrolyses to gentiobiose and crocetin; picrocrocin hydrolyses to glucose and safranal. | [4] |
| Flavonoids | Kaempferol glycosides (major flavonoids of the flower) | Flower (tepals) | [5] |
Pharmacological Activities & Therapeutic Efficacy
Findings below come from the cited studies only. Several are small pilot trials or animal studies, so they do not by themselves establish clinical efficacy.
Antidepressant Activity
In a 6-week pilot double-blind randomized trial of 30 adult outpatients with mild to moderate major depression, saffron stigma 30 mg/day was found to be similar in effect to imipramine 100 mg/day. Anticholinergic effects (dry mouth) and sedation were more frequent with imipramine. The trial had no placebo arm, and the authors call for a larger placebo-controlled trial.[6]
Cognitive Function (Alzheimer's Disease)
In a 16-week double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of 46 patients with probable mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease, saffron 30 mg/day produced significantly better cognitive outcomes than placebo on ADAS-cog and CDR (P = 0.04 for both). The authors describe it as short-term evidence and ask for larger confirmatory trials.[7]
Anti-inflammatory and Antinociceptive Activity
In mice, aqueous and ethanolic extracts of saffron stigma and petal showed antinociceptive activity in the acetic-acid writhing test but not in the hot-plate test; naloxone partially blocked only the stigma aqueous extract. Only stigma extracts had weak to moderate effects in acute (xylene ear-oedema) inflammation, while in chronic (formalin paw-oedema) inflammation both stigma extracts and the ethanolic petal extract were active.[8]
Antioxidant Activity
In 20 human subjects (10 healthy, 10 with coronary artery disease) given saffron 50 mg twice daily in milk, lipoprotein oxidation susceptibility fell significantly over 6 weeks (healthy 66.4 to 38.3; CAD 76.0 to 48.8; P < 0.001), indicating an antioxidant effect. The study did not report lipid-lowering or clinical cardiovascular outcomes.[9]
Antidiabetic Activity
In alloxan-diabetic rats given 6 weeks of daily oral treatment, saffron methanolic extract (80 and 240 mg/kg), crocin (50 and 150 mg/kg) and safranal (0.25 and 0.5 ml/kg) significantly reduced fasting blood glucose and HbA1c and raised blood insulin, without significant changes in SGOT, SGPT or creatinine.[10]
Safety, Toxicity, and Dosage
- Human safety: The safety of saffron tablets has been evaluated in healthy volunteers.[11]
- Precautions: Toxic-dose thresholds and pregnancy risk were not confirmed in the sources checked, so none are stated here. Use within classical dose limits under professional guidance.
- Classical dose: 25–50 mg (see Dose above).
Summary of Therapeutic Profile
| Indication | Evidence type | Principal finding |
|---|---|---|
| Mild to moderate depression | Human pilot RCT (n=30, 6 weeks) | Similar to imipramine |
| Mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease | Human RCT (n=46, 16 weeks) | Better ADAS-cog and CDR than placebo |
| Pain and inflammation (Siroroga/Vrana) | Mouse and rat models | Antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory activity, extract-dependent |
| Oxidative stress / coronary artery disease | Human study (n=20, 6 weeks) | Reduced lipoprotein oxidation susceptibility |
| Diabetes | Alloxan-diabetic rats | Lower glucose and HbA1c, higher insulin |
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Anonymous. The Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India. Department of Ayush, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Govt. of India, New Delhi, Part I. 1986; Volume 4 :25
- ↑ Pro. Krushnachandra Chunekar, Bhavaprakash Nighantu. Reprint Edition 2020, Chaukhambha Bharati Academy, karpuradi varga, verse no.-74
- ↑ Dr. Indradev Tripathi, Raja Nighantu of pandit Narhari, ed. 2006, Chaukhambha Krishnadas Academy, Varanasi, Chandanadi varga verse no- 41,43
- ↑ Srivastava R, Ahmed H, Dixit RK, Dharamveer, Saraf SA. Crocus sativus L.: A comprehensive review. Pharmacogn Rev. 2010;4(8):200–208.
- ↑ Moratalla-López N, Bagur MJ, Lorenzo C, et al. Bioactivity and bioavailability of the major metabolites of Crocus sativus L. flower. Molecules. 2019;24(15):2827. doi:10.3390/molecules24152827
- ↑ Akhondzadeh S, Fallah-Pour H, Afkham K, Jamshidi AH, Khalighi-Cigaroudi F. Comparison of Crocus sativus L. and imipramine in the treatment of mild to moderate depression: a pilot double-blind randomized trial [ISRCTN45683816]. BMC Complement Altern Med. 2004;4:12. doi:10.1186/1472-6882-4-12
- ↑ Akhondzadeh S, Sabet MS, Harirchian MH, et al. Saffron in the treatment of patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease: a 16-week, randomized and placebo-controlled trial. J Clin Pharm Ther. 2010;35(5):581–588. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2710.2009.01133.x
- ↑ Hosseinzadeh H, Younesi HM. Antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory effects of Crocus sativus L. stigma and petal extracts in mice. BMC Pharmacol. 2002;2:7. doi:10.1186/1471-2210-2-7
- ↑ Verma SK, Bordia A. Antioxidant property of saffron in man. Indian J Med Sci. 1998;52(5):205–207.
- ↑ Kianbakht S, Hajiaghaee R. Anti-hyperglycemic effects of saffron and its active constituents, crocin and safranal, in alloxan-induced diabetic rats. J Med Plants. 2011;10(39):82–89.
- ↑ Modaghegh MH, Shahabian M, Esmaeili HA, Rajbai O, Hosseinzadeh H. Safety evaluation of saffron (Crocus sativus) tablets in healthy volunteers. Phytomedicine. 2008;15(12):1032–1037. doi:10.1016/j.phymed.2008.06.003