Volume 33, Issue 2 (6-2026)
J Transl Med Res. 2026, 33(2): 135-146 |
Back to browse issues page
Research code: 456806
Ethics code: IR.BUMS.REC.1401.187
Download citation:
BibTeX | RIS | EndNote | Medlars | ProCite | Reference Manager | RefWorks
Send citation to:
BibTeX | RIS | EndNote | Medlars | ProCite | Reference Manager | RefWorks
Send citation to:
Ghafarian Hoseinzade Attar N, Nakhaee S, Farrokhfall K. Evaluation of the effect of crocin on lipid profile in corticosterone-treated high-fat diet mice. J Transl Med Res. 2026; 33 (2) :135-146
URL: http://journal.bums.ac.ir/article-1-3584-en.html
URL: http://journal.bums.ac.ir/article-1-3584-en.html
1- Student Research Committee, School of Medicine, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, Iran
2- Medical Toxicology and Drug Abuse Research Center, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, Iran
3- Medical Toxicology and Drug Abuse Research Center, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, Iran ,kfarrokhfall@yahoo.com
2- Medical Toxicology and Drug Abuse Research Center, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, Iran
3- Medical Toxicology and Drug Abuse Research Center, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, Iran ,
Full-Text [PDF 806 kb]
(109 Downloads)
| Abstract (HTML) (388 Views)
Full-Text: (48 Views)
Background and Aims: Crocin (CR), an ingredient of saffron, has beneficial effects on lipid metabolism. However, few studies have evaluated protective interventions against the metabolic side effects of glucocorticoids, and CR might also be beneficial in preventing liver damage from a high-fat diet (HFD). This study aimed to evaluate the effect of CR on variations in lipid metabolism and adipose tissue induced by concurrent consumption of a HFD and corticosterone in male mice.
Materials and Methods: This study was conducted with 30 eight-week-old male mice, divided into 5 equal groups. The study groups included the control, HFD, corticosterone (cortico) + HFD, cortico + HFD + CR 50 mg/kg, and HFD + cortico+ CR 100 mg/kg. The study lasted 13 weeks, and the last two groups received CR intraperitoneally from the 8th to the 13th week daily. Finally, the animals were sacrificed with pentobarbital (60 mg/kg), and a blood sample was taken to measure triglyceride and total cholesterol levels. Fat tissue was also examined for histological studies.
Results: HFD consumption and corticosterone significantly increased cell size in pre-renal and gonadal fat pads. CR could reduce these variations in pre-renal fat dose dependently (P<0.0001). HFD also increased the lipid index, serum cholesterol, and triglyceride levels (P<0.001). CR does not improve serum cholesterol levels and fat index; however, it controls high serum triglyceride levels.
Conclusion: CR reduced fat cell size and body weight, although it had no beneficial effect on serum cholesterol levels.
Materials and Methods: This study was conducted with 30 eight-week-old male mice, divided into 5 equal groups. The study groups included the control, HFD, corticosterone (cortico) + HFD, cortico + HFD + CR 50 mg/kg, and HFD + cortico+ CR 100 mg/kg. The study lasted 13 weeks, and the last two groups received CR intraperitoneally from the 8th to the 13th week daily. Finally, the animals were sacrificed with pentobarbital (60 mg/kg), and a blood sample was taken to measure triglyceride and total cholesterol levels. Fat tissue was also examined for histological studies.
Results: HFD consumption and corticosterone significantly increased cell size in pre-renal and gonadal fat pads. CR could reduce these variations in pre-renal fat dose dependently (P<0.0001). HFD also increased the lipid index, serum cholesterol, and triglyceride levels (P<0.001). CR does not improve serum cholesterol levels and fat index; however, it controls high serum triglyceride levels.
Conclusion: CR reduced fat cell size and body weight, although it had no beneficial effect on serum cholesterol levels.
Type of Study: Original Article |
Subject:
Physiology
Received: 2026/01/15 | Accepted: 2026/05/27 | ePublished: 2026/06/5
Received: 2026/01/15 | Accepted: 2026/05/27 | ePublished: 2026/06/5
References
1. Peng C, Stewart AG, Woodman OL, Ritchie RH, Qin CX. Non-Alcoholic Steatohepatitis: A Review of Its Mechanism, Models and Medical Treatments. Front Pharmacol. 2020;11:603926. DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2020.603926 [DOI:10.3389/fphar.2020.603926] [PMID] [PMCID]
2. Fardet L, Fève B. Systemic glucocorticoid therapy: a review of its metabolic and cardiovascular adverse events. Drugs. 2014;74(15):1731-45. DOI: 10.1007/s40265-014-0282-9 [DOI:10.1007/s40265-014-0282-9] [PMID]
3. Cruz-Topete D, Cidlowski JA. One hormone, two actions: anti- and pro-inflammatory effects of glucocorticoids. Neuroimmunomodulation. 2015;22(1-2):20-32. DOI: 10.1159/000362724 [DOI:10.1159/000362724] [PMID] [PMCID]
4. Strehl C, Bijlsma JW, de Wit M, Boers M, Caeyers N, Cutolo M, et al. Defining conditions where long-term glucocorticoid treatment has an acceptably low level of harm to facilitate implementation of existing recommendations: viewpoints from an EULAR task force. Ann Rheum Dis. 2016;75(6):952-7. DOI: 10.1136/annrheumdis-2015-208916 [DOI:10.1136/annrheumdis-2015-208916] [PMID]
5. Luijten IHN, Brooks K, Boulet N, Shabalina IG, Jaiprakash A, Carlsson B, et al. Glucocorticoid-Induced Obesity Develops Independently of UCP1. Cell Rep. 2019;27(6):1686-98.e5. DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2019.04.041 [DOI:10.1016/j.celrep.2019.04.041] [PMID]
6. Opata AA, Cheesman KC, Geer EB. Glucocorticoid Regulation of Body Composition and Metabolism. In: Geer EB, editor. The Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis in Health and Disease: Cushing's Syndrome and Beyond. Cham: Springer International Publishing; 2017. p. 3-26. URL: https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-319-62449-7 [DOI:10.1007/978-3-319-45950-9_1]
7. Duan Y, Zeng L, Zheng C, Song B, Li F, Kong X, et al. Inflammatory Links Between High Fat Diets and Diseases. Front Immunol. 2018;9:2649. DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2018.02649 [DOI:10.3389/fimmu.2018.02649] [PMID] [PMCID]
8. Heyman L, Axling U, Blanco N, Sterner O, Holm C, Berger K. Evaluation of Beneficial Metabolic Effects of Berries in High-Fat Fed C57BL/6J Mice. J Nutr Metab. 2014;2014:403041. DOI: 10.1155/2014/403041 [DOI:10.1155/2014/403041] [PMID] [PMCID]
9. Li J, Wu H, Liu Y, Yang L. High fat diet induced obesity model using four strainsof mice: Kunming, C57BL/6, BALB/c and ICR.Exp Anim. 2020;69(3):326-35. DOI: 10.1538/expanim.19-0148 [DOI:10.1538/expanim.19-0148] [PMID] [PMCID]
10. Kim B, Lee KY, Park B. Crocin Suppresses Constitutively Active STAT3 Through Induction of Protein Tyrosine Phosphatase SHP-1. J Cell Biochem. 2017;118(10):3290-8. DOI: 10.1002/jcb.25980 [DOI:10.1002/jcb.25980] [PMID]
11. Tayarani-Najaran Z, Hadipour E, Ramazani S, Taghizadeh L, Ramazani E. Antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and cytoprotective effects of crocin, a bioactive constituent of saffron, in Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases with a focus on molecular mechanisms: A systematic review. Avicenna J Phytomed. 2026;16(2):13-34. DOI: 10.22038/ajp.2025.26032
12. Zhang F, Liu P, He Z, Zhang L, He X, Liu F, et al. Crocin ameliorates atherosclerosis by promoting the reverse cholesterol transport and inhibiting the foam cell formation via regulating PPARγ/LXR-α. Cell cycle. 2022;21(2):202-18. DOI: 10.1080/15384101.2021.2015669 [DOI:10.1080/15384101.2021.2015669] [PMID] [PMCID]
13. Roshanravan B, Samarghandian S, Ashrafizadeh M, Amirabadizadeh A, Saeedi F, Farkhondeh T. Metabolic impact of saffron and crocin: an updated systematic and meta-analysis of randomised clinical trials. Arch Physiol Biochem. 2022;128(3):666-78. DOI: 10.1080/13813455.2020.1716020 [DOI:10.1080/13813455.2020.1716020] [PMID]
14. El-Fawal R, El Fayoumi HM, Mahmoud MF. Effects of diosmin and crocin on metabolic syndrome-associated cardio-vascular complications in rats.Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's Arch Pharmacol. 2019;392(12):1523-36. DOI: 10.1007/s00210-019-01700-8 [DOI:10.1007/s00210-019-01700-8] [PMID]
15. Luo L, Fang K, Dan X, Gu M. Crocin ameliorates hepatic steatosis through activation of AMPK signaling in db/db mice.Lipids Health Dis. 2019;18(1):11. DOI: 10.1186/s12944-018-0955-6 [DOI:10.1186/s12944-018-0955-6] [PMID] [PMCID]
16. Fang K, Gu M. Crocin Improves Insulin Sensitivity and Ameliorates Adiposity by Regulating AMPK-CDK5-PPARγ Signaling. Biomed Res Int. 2020;2020:9136282. DOI: 10.1155/2020/9136282 [DOI:10.1155/2020/9136282] [PMID] [PMCID]
17. Morgan SA, McCabe EL, Gathercole LL, Hassan-Smith ZK, Larner DP, Bujalska IJ, et al. 11β-HSD1 is the major regulator of the tissue-specific effects of circulating glucocorticoid excess.Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2014;111(24):E2482-91. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1323681111 [DOI:10.1073/pnas.1323681111] [PMID] [PMCID]
18. Ataie Z, Mehrani H, Ghasemi A, Farrokhfall K. Cinnamaldehyde has beneficial effects against oxidative stress and nitric oxide metabolites in the brain of aged rats fed with long-term, high-fat diet. J Funct Foods. 2019;52:545-51. DOI: 10.1016/j.jff.2018.11.038 [DOI:10.1016/j.jff.2018.11.038]
19. Mesbahzadeh B, Hassanzadeh-Taheri M, Aliparast M-s, Baniasadi P, Hosseini M. The protective effect of crocin on cisplatin-induced testicular impairment in rats. BMC Urol. 2021;21(1):117. DOI: 10.1186/s12894-021-00889-2 [DOI:10.1186/s12894-021-00889-2] [PMID] [PMCID]
20. Speakman JR. Use of high-fat diets to study rodent obesity as a model of human obesity. Int J Obes (Lond). 2019;43(8):1491-2. DOI: 10.1038/s41366-019-0363-7 [DOI:10.1038/s41366-019-0363-7] [PMID]
21. Yaribeygi H, Maleki M, Rashid-Farrokhi F, Abdullahi PR, Hemmati MA, Jamialahmadi T, et al. Modulating effects of crocin on lipids and lipoproteins: Mechanisms and potential benefits. Heliyon. 2024;10(7):e28837. DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e28837 [DOI:10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e28837] [PMID] [PMCID]
22. Yazdandoost-Baygi H, Talebi-Garakani E, Nasiri K, Safarzade A. The effect of two different intensities of aerobic training and crocin consumption on visceral adipose cell size and insulin resistance in ovariectomized rats fed with high-fat Diet. Journal of Applied Exercise Physiology. 2022;18(35):15-30. DOI: 10.22080/jaep.2022.23916.2112 [DOI:10.61186/jsmt.21.26.18]
23. Farahmand S, Ahmadi S, Al-Dawoodi Z. The Eight-Week Effect of Oral Administration of Fran-Zar Syrup (a Saffron-Based Formulation) on Lipoprotein Profile and Inflammatory Markers in Adults with Obesity: A Pre-Post Study. Saffron Agron Technol. 2025;13(2):140-51. DOI: 10.22048/jsat.2025.543545.1570
24. Hashemi SA, Bathaie SZ, Mohagheghi MA. Crocetin and crocin decreased cholesterol and triglyceride content of both breast cancer tumors and cell lines.Avicenna J Phytomed. 2020;10(4):384. URL: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7430959/
25. Xie X, Xiao Q, Xiong Z, Yu C, Zhou J, Fu Z. Crocin-I ameliorates the disruption of lipid metabolism and dysbiosis of the gut microbiota induced by chronic corticosterone in mice. Food Funct. 2019;10(10):6779-91. DOI: 10.1039/c9fo01533g [DOI:10.1039/C9FO01533G] [PMID]
26. Asdaq SMB, Inamdar MN. Potential of Crocus sativus (saffron) and its constituent, crocin, as hypolipidemic and antioxidant in rats. Appl Biochem Biotechnol. 2010;162:358-72. [Persian] DOI: 10.1007/s12010-009-8740-7 [DOI:10.1007/s12010-009-8740-7] [PMID]
27. Taherifard MH, Shekari M, Mesrkanlou HA, Asbaghi O, Nazarian B, Khosroshahi MZ, et al. The effect of crocin supplementation on lipid concentrations and fasting blood glucose: A systematic review and meta-analysis and meta-regression of randomized controlled trials. Complement Ther Med. 2020;52:102500. [Persian] DOI: 10.1016/j.ctim.2020.102500 [DOI:10.1016/j.ctim.2020.102500] [PMID]
Send email to the article author
| Rights and permissions | |
 |
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. |
Attribution-NoneCommercial CC BY-NC