Molecular characterization of by-products of saffron (Crocus sativus L.) production

Three different tissues, stigma, stamens and sepals, of Crocus sativus L. samples from two different geographic origins, were analysed for their crocins and flavonols content. The identification of crocins, safranal, picrocrocin, and flavonols was carried out by HPLC/DAD and HPLC/MS analysis. The stigma analysis showed that both samples, grown under natural conditions, exhibited high crocins content (between 342 and 231 mg/g), stamens and sepals are rich in flavonols (between 6 and 10 mg/g). While stamens contain mainly kaempferol derivatives, the sepals main flavonols were quercetin and methyl-quercetin glycosides. These data may be useful in order to find a possible exploitation of the by-products, which represent a very large percentage of the Crocus sativus L. flowers.