BIOLOGY, BIOTECHNOLOGY AND BIOMEDICINE OF SAFFRON

Saffron is made with the dried stigmas of Crocus sativus L., an Iridaceae that has been traditionally cultivated in different countries of Asia and the Mediterranean region. Saffron production at a worldwide scale is facing challenging tasks such as the need of new farming techniques, genetic improvement, propagation of high quality plant material, conservation of genetic resources, new chemical technologies to assess quality and prevent adulteration of saffron, and to develop a wide range of saffron uses, particularly those related to human health. The application of modern technologies from the fields of molecular biology, cell biology, biochemistry, genetics and genomics could help to achieve these objectives. This article reviews some of the latest advances carried out on the biology, biotechnology and biomedicine of this ancient crop.