Effect of Saffron on Anti-Inflammatory and Oxidative Stress in Asthma

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Introduction: This trial was designed to evaluate the efficacy of saffron supplementation in patients with mild to moderate asthma. Methods: Settings and Design: This randomized, double-blind, and placebo-controlled trial was conducted on 72 patients with persistent allergic asthma.  Patients were assigned into take either 100 mg/day saffron supplement (intervention group) or a placebo capsule (control group) for eight weeks. The participants' anthropometric and biochemical evaluations were measured at the beginning and end of the study. Statistical analysis used: To analyse the data, the SPSS software version 24 was used. The continuous and categorical data were reported in means/standard deviations and frequency (%), respectively. Pre- and post-intervention measures were compared between groups using the paired t-test or the Mann-Whitney U-test for normal distributions. Results: At the end of the study, patients who received saffron had lower levels of pro-oxidant/antioxidant balance compared to the group who received placebo (P<0.001). Saffron supplementation caused a significant increase in the Interleukin 10 (IL-10) (P=0.005), Interleukin 35 (IL-35), and transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-?) concentrations (P<0.001). We not found any significant changes in the anthropometric variables between the intervention and placebo groups (P>0.05). Conclusions: Our results provide evidence that saffron supplementation can improve anti-inflammatory biomarkers and oxidative stress among patients with asthma. In order to address the precise mechanism of these effects, further studies are needed.