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Efficacy of Hydroponically Cultivated Saffron in the Preservation of Retinal Pigment Epithelium

TitleEfficacy of Hydroponically Cultivated Saffron in the Preservation of Retinal Pigment Epithelium
Publication TypeArticolo su Rivista peer-reviewed
Year of Publication2023
AuthorsDi Paolo, Mattia, Corsi Francesca, Maggi Maria, Nardi Luca, Bisti Silvia, Piano Ilaria, and Gargini Claudia
JournalMolecules (Basel, Switzerland)
Volume28
Type of ArticleArticle
ISSN14203049
KeywordsCell Line, coloring agent, Coloring Agents, Crocus, Hydrogen Peroxide, metabolism, Oxidative stress, reactive oxygen metabolite, Reactive Oxygen Species, Retinal Pigment Epithelium
Abstract

Saffron treatment is a broad-spectrum therapy used for several retinal diseases, and its effectiveness depends on a particular molecular composition (REPRON® saffron). Its production requires specific crops and procedures that, together with low yields, make this spice expensive. To reduce costs, the use of hydroponic crops is gradually increasing. In this study, we tested the protective properties of a hydroponic saffron (sH) batch in models of retinal pigmented epithelium (RPE) degeneration. ARPE-19 cells were pretreated with 40 µg/mL saffron and exposed to different types of damage: excess light and retinol (LE + RET) or oxidative stress (H2O2). After analyzing the composition of all saffron types with spectroscopy, we performed cell viability and immunofluorescence analysis for both protocols. We compared the sH results with those of a validated batch of saffron REPRON® (sR) and those of a saffron non-REPRON® (sNR) batch. sH and sR, which we found had the same chemical composition, were more effective than sNR in increasing cell survival and attenuating the morphological changes related to apoptosis. In conclusion, hydroponic culturing is a suitable strategy to produce high-quality saffron to reduce costs and increase the accessibility of this promising treatment for retinal degeneration.

Notes

Cited by: 0; All Open Access, Gold Open Access

URLhttps://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85149053058&doi=10.3390%2fmolecules28041699&partnerID=40&md5=4736ac86b194ceb35f38f338dd1e0cf0
DOI10.3390/molecules28041699
Citation KeyDi Paolo2023
PubMed ID36838685