Volarization of saffron industry by-products: bioactive compounds from leaves.

Interest in the development of bioprocesses for the production or extraction of bioactive compounds from natural sources has increased in recent years due to the potential applications of these compounds in food, chemical, and pharmaceutical industries. Obtention of 1kg of spice from saffron stigmas generates 150 000 blooms and 1 500 kg of leaves, which are presently both considered as waste. But due to the biologically valuable compounds like flavonoids, antioxidants which could be found in blossom and leaves of crocus species and could potentially used as functional components for food products and diet supplement. Therefore, the main objective of analysis was proper evaluation of C. sativus leaves usability for further valorization based on flavonoids and antioxidants composition and titration. Analysis were performed on dried leaves of C. Sativus collected in different parts of the world, regions and provinces in the framework of the European Program CROCUSBANK. Samples of C. Sativus were extracted with a in-house developed micro-extraction technique and extracts analyzed by HPLC-UV and by HPLC-MS and spectrophotometer. 8 flavonoids were identified and titrated in C. sativus leaves from which 2 (kaempferol-8-C-gluco-6,3-O-diglucoside and kaempferol-8-C-gluco-6-O-glucose) were reported for the first time in saffron. Comparison of flavonoids and antioxidants from samples harvested in different countries states that flavonoid concentrations vary independently of origin, while different cultivation conditions or different picking periods seemed to greatly influence.