Crocetin facts for kids
Crocetin is a natural chemical compound found in the crocus flower. It's also in the fruits of the Gardenia jasminoides plant. Crocetin looks like brick-red crystals and melts at 285°C (545°F).
This compound is a key part of crocin, which is what gives saffron its famous color. Saffron is a spice often used in cooking.
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How Crocetin Might Help Our Bodies
Scientists have been studying crocetin and crocin to see how they affect living things.
Protecting Brain Cells
Some studies suggest that crocin and crocetin might help protect brain cells. In lab tests, these compounds seemed to reduce harmful molecules that can damage brain cells. This is called neuroprotection.
Reducing Tiredness
A study in 2009 looked at how crocetin affected physical tiredness in healthy men. The results suggested that taking crocetin by mouth might help reduce how tired people feel after physical activity.
Improving Sleep Quality
In 2010, a small study explored if crocetin could help with sleep. It involved healthy adult men who had minor sleep problems. The study found that crocetin might help improve the quality of their sleep.
Protecting Eyes
Crocetin has also shown protective effects on the retina, which is the light-sensitive part at the back of your eye. This was observed in high concentrations in both lab dishes and living organisms.
Transcrocetinate Sodium: A Special Salt
Transcrocetinate sodium (also known as TSC) is a special salt made from crocetin. It's an experimental medicine that helps move oxygen from red blood cells into parts of the body that aren't getting enough oxygen. These parts are called hypoxic tissues.
Transcrocetinate sodium is part of a group of substances that help oxygen spread better. It was one of the first compounds of its kind to be discovered.
How it's Made and What it Does
You can make transcrocetinate sodium by mixing saffron with sodium hydroxide. Then, you can extract the salt of the trans crocetin isomer from the mixture.
Researchers have studied transcrocetinate sodium in animals. They found it could help bring blood pressure back to normal after severe blood loss, which can be deadly. This improved survival rates in the animals.
Potential Uses in Medicine
Early research suggested that transcrocetinate sodium could be useful in emergency medicine, especially for treating soldiers with severe bleeding. More studies in animals and humans showed that it might help with many conditions where tissues don't get enough oxygen. These include:
Transcrocetinate sodium has also shown promise in helping patients with peripheral artery disease (PAD). This condition reduces oxygen-rich blood flow to the legs, causing pain and making it hard to walk. The drug seemed to restore oxygen levels and improve walking ability.
Currently, this drug is being studied for its potential to make cancer cells more sensitive to radiation therapy in patients with a type of brain cancer called glioblastoma. It's also being investigated for its possible use in helping COVID-19 patients get more oxygen, especially those at risk of serious breathing problems.
How Transcrocetinate Sodium Works
This compound seems to help oxygen move better in tissues that lack it. It does this by affecting water molecules in blood plasma. It makes these water molecules more organized, which helps oxygen spread more easily through the plasma and into the tissues.
Trans-crocetin has also been found to affect certain brain receptors called NMDA receptors. This might be why saffron can have effects on mood and the brain.
Images for kids
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Skeletal formula of crocetin
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Ball and stick model of crocetin
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See also
In Spanish: Crocetina para niños
