| Background: New evidence indicates that overproduction of pro-inflammatory cytokines is responsible
for the development of diabetes difficulties. Some herbals such as saffron, may control inflammation and
improve the hyperglycemic states in diabetic patients. Therefore, this investigation aimed to assess the
effects of saffron supplementation on fasting glucose and inflammatory markers levels in patients with
type2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).
Methods: In this randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial, 60 T2DM patients were
randomly assigned into two groups as saffron and placebo (n ¼ 30) receiving 100 mg/day saffron powder
or starch capsules (1 capsule) for a duration of 8 weeks. Fasting blood sample was collected at baseline
and at the end of the intervention. Fasting blood glucose (FBG) was immediately analyzed by the autoanalyzer.
The serum level of Interleukin 6 (IL-6), Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-a), and Interleukin-
10 (IL-10) were measured using ELISA assay by laboratory kits. Also, Real-time quantitative reverse
transcription (RT-PCR) assay measured the expression level of TNF-a, IL-6, and IL-10 at the mRNA level.
Results: Saffron supplementation significantly decreased the FBG levels within 8 weeks compared to
placebo (130.93 ± 21.21 vs 135.13 ± 23.03 mg/dl, P ¼ 0.012). Moreover, the serum level of TNF-a notably
reduced in the saffron group compared to the placebo group (114.40 ± 24.28 vs 140.90 ± 25.49 pg/ml,
P < 0.001). Also, saffron supplementation significantly down-regulated the expressions of TNF-a
(P ¼ 0.035) and IL-6 mRNA levels (P ¼ 0.014).
Conclusion: In our study, it was indicated that saffron modulates glucose levels as well as inflammation
status in T2DM patients through decreasing the expressions levels of some inflammatory mediators.
Also, further investigations are necessary to confirm the positive effects of saffron as a complementary
therapy for T2DM patients. |