Pharmacological Effects of Saffron and its Constituents in Ocular Disorders from in vitro Studies to Clinical Trials: A Systematic Review

Some medicinal plants have shown promising therapeutic potential for the
management of the diseases. We aimed to systematically review the literature wherein the therapeutic
effects of saffron have been studied on eye disorders.
Methods: A systematic literature search was performed in PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Google
scholar and other databases using eye disorders and saffron as key terms. No strict inclusion
criteria were defined, and almost all clinical studies, as well as in vivo and in vitro studies were
included. The reported data in each study were extracted and then qualitatively described.
Results: Finally, 78 articles were found but only 29 relevant articles were included. Nine articles
were clinical trials and 20 articles were studies conducted on cellular and molecular aspects of saffron
on eye disorders. According to the included studies, crocin prevented the pro-inflammatory
response in retinal cells and decreased glucose levels in diabetic mice. Also, crocetin prevented
retinal degeneration and saffron protected photoreceptors from light-induced damage in retinal
cells. Saffron also improved visual function in age-related macular edema and decreased intraocular
pressure in patients with glaucoma. In addition, it was shown that crocin can improve best corrected
visual acuity and decrease central macular thickness in patients with diabetic maculopathy.
Conclusion: The results of this review indicated that saffron and its main ingredients such as crocin
could be a potential candidate for the treatment of ocular disease especially eye inflammation; however,
further clinical studies are needed to confirm such efficiency