@article{Altinoz_Taskin_Oner_Elbe_Arslan_2015, title={THE EFFECT OF SAFFRON (ITS ACTIVE CONSTITUENT, CROCIN) ON THE CARDIOVASCULAR COMPLICATION AND DYSLIPIDEMIA IN STREPTOZOTOCIN INDUCED DIABETIC RATS}, volume={12}, url={https://journals.athmsi.org/index.php/ajtcam/article/view/3093}, DOI={10.21010/ajtcam.v12i5.1}, abstractNote={Background: Diabetes mellitus (DM) causes serious complications such as coronary heart disease, atherosclerosis, nephropathy, retinopathy and neuropathy. Materials and Methods: Rats were randomly divided into three groups each containing 10 rats; control group, DM group; DM+crocin group. Normal saline was administered in the control and DM groups, and crocin was administered in DM+crocin group at a dose of 20 mg/kg bw/day for 21 days. Trunk blood and the hearth tissue were collected for histopathological and biochemical examination. Results: DM led to increment of MDA levels (p<0.05) and the serum levels of total cholesterol, TG, LDL and VLDL (p<0.05) and decrease of GSH levels (p<0.01) compared to control group in serum and heart tissue. Diabetic rats were treated with crocin, MDA levels (p<0.05) and the levels of total cholesterol, TG and VLDL decreased significantly, but GSH levels (p<0.05) increased remarkably compared to DM rats. Statistically significant increase in histopathological damage score was found in the DM group (p<0.0001). Histopathological changes markedly regressed in DM+crocin group. Conclusion: Our results showed that crocin might prevent diabetes induced cardiovascular complications by reduction of oxidative stress and dyslipidemia.}, number={5}, journal={African Journal of Traditional, Complementary and Alternative Medicines}, author={Altinoz, Eyup and Taskin, Emre and Oner, Zulal and Elbe, Hulya and Arslan, Belkis Atasever}, year={2015}, month={Jul.}, pages={1–7} }