بررسى اثرات عصاره آبى گل هاى زعفران (. Crocus sativus L ) بر روى ميزان فعاليت سلول هاى مريستم ريشه نخود، زيره سياه، پياز و جو

Antimitotic effects of Saffron (Crocus sativus L.) flower extracts on the root meristematic cells of Chickenpea, Caraway, Onion and Barley plants

Saffron (Crocus sativus L) has long been used as a herbal medicine, and serves as a rich source of carotenoids with anti-cancer and anti-tumor effects. The biological activity of Saffron flower organs is correlated with the chemical composition and concentrations of the main biologically active ingredients in each organ. The present comparative study was designed to evaluate the antimitotic activity of petals, stamens and stigma water extracts of saffron flowers in root meristematic cells of Chickenpea (Cicer arietmum L), Caraway (Carum cam), Onion (Allium cepa L) and Barley (Hordeum vulgare L). The antimitotic effects of these extracts were determined using root growth and cell division assays. All flower extracts had antimitotic effects on root meristematic cells. Extracts of stigma and petals possessed the most and the least inhibitory effects on spindle formation, respectively. It is speculated that the difference in the antimitotic activitity of these extracts correlates with the difference in chemical composition and concentrations of biologically active carotenoid ingredients present in each Saffron flower organ.