Safranal is an organic compound isolated from saffron, the spice consisting of the stigmas of crocus flowers (Crocus sativus). It is the constituent primarily responsible for the aroma of saffron.
It is believed that safranal is a degradation
product of the carotenoid zeaxanthin via the
intermediacy of picrocrocin.
Safranal
is an effective anticonvulsant shown to act
as an agonist at GABAA receptors. Safranal
also exhibits high antioxidant and free radical
scavenging activity, along with cytotoxicity
towards cancer cells in vitro. It has also
been shown to have antidepressant properties