An Introduction to Blockchain Technology Methods and Applications
Abstract
Crocus sativus L. is generally known as the “Red Gold or Gold Condiment” due to its taste, aroma and being most expensive spice globally. The word Saffron originated from an Arabic term Zafaran which indicates to become yellow because of usage of Saffron as a bright yellow colorant. As stated by some researchers the Latin name crocus is derivative of a Sanskrit word for saffron. Saffron geophyte flowering exotic crop belongs to family Iridaceae and genus Crocus which possess about 85 species. Saffron plant is small with maximum height of 10-30cm, triploid (2n = 3x = 24), propagated via corms, native of Asia Minor. Saffron flower has a perigonium made up of six tepals which are purple/violet in colour and measuring 20mm to 47mm long and 11mm to 23mm wide. Three stigmas are the main red part of the saffron plant as distal ends of the plant's tricarpellate gynoecium in a flower. Dried red stigmas of flower of Saffron form spice. The stigma which makes commercial saffron is only 7% of a saffron flower. Saffron is primarily cultivated in a variety of countries including Iran, India, Japan, France, Switzerland, Morocco, Spain, Greece, Italy, Turkey, Pakistan, China, and Australia. In India saffron is mainly cultivated in Pampore district in Kashmir. India is the second-largest saffron importer in world, and the nation's swift growth in economy has made saffron more affordable to a rising figure of middle- and upper-income households. Notably, Iran produces the highest amount of saffron, meeting nearly 80% of global demand. Saffron has been cultivated as a spice in Egypt and the Middle East for at least 5,000 years. The genetic structure of C. sativus was studied through genome-wide single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) method. Saffron was deep-rooted to have origin in Attica, Greece, from Crocus cartwrightianus. C. sativus is hand-picked from late October to early November, after dawn, as freshly hand-harvested flowers rapidly lose colour and flavour and wither when exposed to sunbeams. About 2 lakh saffron stigmas hand-picked from approximately 70,000 flowers produces 0.453 kg of commercial saffron and takes round 200 hours. Crocin (8,8-diapocarotene-8,8-dioic acid) bestows red or reddish-brown colour to the stigma, safranal (2,6,6-trimethyl-1,3-cyclohexadiene-1-carboxaldehyde) provides aroma, and picrocrocin (a glycosidic precursor of safranal) contributes to bitterness. Crocins, crocetin, picrocrocin, and safranal present in stigma are non-volatile substances. Saffron is expectorant, aphrodisiac, anti-spasmodic, anti-diabetic, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, hepatoprotective, anti-depressant, neuroprotective anti-tumor, anti-mutagenic, anti-cancerous and immune modulating.
Fields of Study & Subjects
Saffron Plant Research Studies
Blockchain Technology Applications and Security
Blockchain Technology in Education and Learning
Publication details
- Journal / source
- CRC Press eBooks
- Pages
- 1–18
- Publication date
- 16 March 2026
- Language
- EN
- Document type
- Book chapter