Synthesis of crocin, picrocrocin and safranal by saffron stigma-like structures proliferated in vitro.

Crocin, picrocrocin, and safranal as the major secondary metabolites are important for the high quality of spice saffron.Crocin and picrocrocin were detected in stigma-like structures proliferated in vitro.Safranal appeared after heat treatment.The contents and relative ratio of these substances in the stigma-like structures were similar to those in intact young stigmas, indicating that these stigma-like structures showed not only morphological but also biochemical similarity to the intact stigmas.Saffron, dried stigmas of Crocus sativus L., is widely used as a spice and a drug.It contains three major secondary metabolites which are important for the high quality of saffron, a yellow pigment "crocin",1 ~6) a bitter-tasting substance "picrocrocin",2' 7' 8) and a good perfume "safranal'\2'8'9)Many stigma-like structures can be proliferated in vitro from the excised young stigmas and ovaries of saffron of Linsmaier-Skoog10) and Nitschn) agar media supplemented with auxin and cytokinin in combinations, and these structures, colorless at first, turned yellow and then deep orange during maturation.12)