Abstract
Objective: During the last two decades, several studies have been done on the pharmacological-toxicological effects of Crocus sativus, commonly known as Saffron. However, according to the literature, little is known to complete the perspective of how it treats our immune system. This knowledge would be of great importance considering the presence of saffron in clinical trials as an anti-cancer or anti-depression treatment. Methods: Here, the effects of sub-acute (28-day) oral administration of saffron aqueous extract (50, 250 and 500 mg/kg) have been investigated in BALB/c mice. First, a gas chromatography analysis was done on the extract. Then, body and organ weights, cellularity of the spleen, histopathological examinations, delayed type hypersensitivity (DTH) response, phagocytic activity assay, hemagglutination titer (HA), determination of CH50, the spleen cell subtypes, cytokine production and lymphocytes proliferation were evaluated in all groups. Results: Based on our in vivo data, saffron extract increased phagocytic activity, potentiated DTH response and augmented HA titer. Also, saffron increased the population of CD3+, CD19+, CD49+ and CD8+, potentiated proliferation response and IFNγ secretion. Conclusion: According to our in vivo results, saffron could potentiate the innate, cell-mediated and humoral immunity in BALB/c mice.
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