Phytochemical Differentiation of Saffron (Crocus sativus L.) by High Resolution Mass Spectrometry Metabolomic Studies

The metabolite profiling of saffron (Crocus sativus L.) from several countries was measured by using ultra-performance liquid chromatography combined with high resolution mass spectrometry (UPLC-HR MS). Multivariate statistical analysis was employed to distinguish among the several samples of C. sativus L. from Greece, Italy, Morocco, Iran, India, Afghanistan and Kashmir. The results of this study showed that the phytochemical content in the samples of C. sativus L. were obviously diverse in the different countries of origin. The metabolomics approach was deemed to be the most suitable in order to evaluate the enormous array of putative metabolites among the saffron samples studied, and was able to provide a comparative phytochemical screening of these samples. Several markers have been identified that aided the differentiation of a group from its counterparts. This can be important for the selection of the appropriate saffron sample, in view of its health-promoting effect which occurs through the modulation of various biological and physiological processes.