Safranal

Safranal is an organic compound isolated from saffron, the spice consisting of the stigmas of crocus flowers. It is the constituent primarily responsible for the aroma of saffron.
It is believed that safranal is a degradation product of the carotenoid zeaxanthin via the intermediate picrocrocin.

Pharmacology

Safranal is an effective anticonvulsant in animal models, shown to act as an agonist at GABA_A receptors. Safranal also exhibits high antioxidant activity, along with cytotoxicity towards cancer cells in vitro. One of its anticancer mechanisms of action involves disruption of the normal assembly dynamics of cellular microtubules. It has also been shown to have antidepressant properties in animals and pilot studies in humans.

Natural sources

Natural sources of safranal include: