This study, published in Nutrients, investigates the effects of a safranal-standardized saffron extract on behavioral, neuroendocrine, and metabolic outcomes in aged mice, addressing key hallmarks of aging, including anxiety, cognitive decline, and metabolic dysregulation.
Using a rigorously characterized extract standardized for safranal (2%) and crocins (3%), the research demonstrates that oral administration leads to measurable systemic bioavailability of safranal and produces dose-dependent benefits. A higher dose reduced anxiety-like behavior and significantly improved recognition memory, while a lower dose helped prevent age-related weight loss and modulated hepatic lipid metabolism.
At the mechanistic level, Safforce+® modulated key neuropeptides involved in stress and emotional regulation, including increased hypothalamic neuropeptide Y (NPY) and reduced corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) and hypocretin (HCRT) signaling. These changes were accompanied by reduced neuroinflammatory signaling in the prefrontal cortex and activation of endocannabinoid and paracannabinoid pathways in the hippocampus, mechanisms closely linked to emotional balance, sleep regulation, and memory consolidation.
Together, these findings position content-standardized saffron extracts such as Safforce+® as multi-target nutraceuticals capable of supporting emotional wellbeing, cognitive performance, and metabolic resilience during aging, while also addressing reproducibility and authenticity challenges common in the saffron market.