Eureka! Institutional Repository

The association of diabetes mellitus (DM) with poor metabolic control and high incidence of morbidity and mortality due to cardiovascular diseases is well established. Metabolic perturbations in diabetes trigger maladaptive stimuli which lead to myocardial remodeling, contractile dysfunction and heart failure. Crocus sativus L. (saffron) extract contains crocin which has been shown to exhibit antioxidant, antitumor and hypolipidemic properties. The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential protective effect of crocin on diabetic heart dysfunction. Six weeks after diabetes induction with STZ administration, rats received crocin (10 or 20 mg/kg body weight) daily for 2 weeks. Treatment of diabetic animals with crocin resulted in normalization of plasma metabolite levels (glucose, LDL, HDL, triglycerides), and inhibition of cardiac hypertrophy and fibrosis. Consequently, administration of crocin may represent a novel approach for treating diabetic cardiomyopathy.