Learning, saffron

Crocus sativus L. Shi Hong Hua (Saffron) (root) Crocetin, crocetin geniobiose glucose ester, crocetin di-glucose ester, crotin, lycopene, beta-carotene.33-450 Ameliorating effect on ethanol-induced impairment of learning and memory. 

An oral administration of crocin had no effect on memory acquisition in normal mice but improved the ethanol-induced impairment of learning behaviors of mice in passive avoidance performance tasks. This phenomenon resembled that of crude extract of saffron as reported previously. The tendencies of the effect between CSE and crocin are similar to each other. From these results it can be easily speculated that crocin is the most important principle in crude extract of saffron. Other crocetin glucoside esters weakly antagonized the blocking effect of ethanol on the LTP compared to crocin. 

Abe, K. and Saito, H., Effects of saffron extract and its constituent crocin on learning behavior and long-term potentiation, Phytother. Res., 14, 149-152, 2000. 

Now, if this were altogether a spiritual matter, as many try to imagine, how is it that it can be described as a "saffron-colored powder, very subtle, and almost impalpable, of a very pleasant odor," etc. This only shows, as we have taught in earlier lessons, that the abstract becomes concrete, the metaphysical physical, the invisible visible, and so on. The two appearances are but conscious phases of the one eternal fact of being. Through the mastery of the Stone, man learns that he IS MASTER OF ALL ELEMENTS, and that he may manipulate them at will to his own advantage. 

Alcohol extract from saffron has been also examined for learning and memory, in step through (ST) and step down (SD) tests, in normal and in leaming-and memory-impaired mice. The results showed that this extract ameliorates the impairment effects of ethanol on learning and memory processes and possesses a sedative effect [85-87]. In addition, recent experiments have shown that crocin and crocetin derivatives inhibit promotion of tumor in mice [88]. 

Saffron extracts and their crocin compounds inhibit amyloid-beta protein deposition and improve learning and memory functions in mice which suggests a possible benefit in the management of Alzheimer s disease and other memory impairment conditions.This effect may be attributed to the antioxidant/ free radical scavenging activity frequently reported for saffron and its major constitu-... 

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