Source: KENTUCKY STATE UNIVERSITY submitted to
COLLABORATIVE EVALUATION OF SAFFRON (CROCUS SATIVA L.) AS A HIGH VALUE CULINARY AND MEDICINAL NICHE CROP
Sponsoring Institution
National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Project Status
COMPLETE
Funding Source
OTHER GRANTS
Reporting Frequency
Annual
Accession No.
1018229
Grant No.
2019-38821-29115
Cumulative Award Amt.
$599,965.00
Proposal No.
2018-04912
Multistate No.
(N/A)
Project Start Date
Mar 1, 2019
Project End Date
Feb 29, 2024
Grant Year
2019
Program Code
[EQ]- Research Project
Recipient Organization
KENTUCKY STATE UNIVERSITY
(N/A)
FRANKFORT,KY 40601
Performing Department
Agriculture and Natural Resour
Non Technical Summary
Saffron (Crocus sativus L.) is the most expensive spice and has potential health benefits. Currently, saffron production is concentrated in Mediterranean countries. Adulteration of the imported material is a serious ongoing problem; thus, domestic cultivation should be seriously considered. A survey was conducted at the 2017 Small and Limited-Resource Farmers Conference at Kentucky State University (KSU) and 68% of respondents expressed interest in saffron cultivation and wanted to know more about the spice. A soil survey suggested saffron can be successfully and sustainably cultivated in many parts of Kentucky. These findings demonstrate the need for an investigation about saffron cultivation. The objectives of the proposed studies are to:1) Investigate production of high quality saffron, by utilizing field, high tunnel, shed, and green roof production systems; 2) Incorporate Bacillus subtilis FZB24to promote saffron growth; 3) Measure physical stress in agricultural workers associated with planting and harvesting saffron; 4) Investigate the anti-inflammatory properties of saffron by evaluating suppression of CCL26 (a biomarker for allergic asthma) secretion; 5) Investigate the capacity of saffron to aid digestion; 6) Develop production cost estimates and engage undergraduate students to market saffron; and 7) Recruit small-scale and limited-resource farmers and promote saffron uses through Extension activities, webpages, and social networking. The main measurable outcomes expected from this project include: recommendations for saffron cultivation in KY, the demonstration that domestically cultivated saffron can achieve quality and bioactivity comparable to imported saffron, the number of participating farmers and students, production cost estimates, and marketing strategies.
Animal Health Component
60%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
40%
Applied
60%
Developmental
(N/A)
Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)Subject of Investigation (SOI)Field of Science (FOS)Percent
2042235106070%
5022220101030%
Knowledge Area
204 - Plant Product Quality and Utility (Preharvest); 502 - New and Improved Food Products;

Subject Of Investigation
2220 - Medicinal crops, non-narcotic; 2235 - Herbs and spices;

Field Of Science
1060 - Biology (whole systems); 1010 - Nutrition and metabolism;
Goals / Objectives
The objectives of the proposed studies are to:1) Investigate production of high quality saffron stigmata, by utilizing field, high tunnel, shed, and green roof production systems; 2) Incorporate Bacillus subtilis FZB24 to promote saffron growth; 3) Investigate the physical stress associated with planting and harvesting saffron; 4) Investigate the anti-inflammatory properties of saffron by evaluating the suppression of CCL26 secretion; 5) Investigate the capacity of saffron to aid the digestive process in a Caco2 cell model; 6) Develop production cost estimates and engage undergraduate students in developing business plans and marketing ideas and estimating willingness to pay for locally produced saffron; and 7) Recruit farmers who want to diversify their income source as potential project participants and promote saffron use by creating events and a webpage on saffron production and disseminating research findings through KSU's website and social network sites, such as YouTube and Facebook, and KSU Extension events such as The Third Thursday Thing Sustainable Agriculture Workshop series.
Project Methods
1) Organically grown saffron corms will be planted in organic fields, high tunnels, crates in a shed, and crates containing green roof media at KSU's Research and Demonstration Farm. Each production system will contain a total of 2,400 corms planted at a density of 64 corms/m2. Two hundred corms per crate housed saffron will be planted in the ground at KSU and cooperator sites. After the harvest, corms will be dug up after they go dormant each year for the duration of the study. Flowers will be harvested three times/week. Stigmata will be manually separated and will be dried the same day at 60°C in an oven or food processor at 25°C. Fresh flower weight and fresh and dry weight of stigmata will be recorded.100 mg of oven or air-dried samples will be wetted with 200 μl of double distilled water and the major components (i.e., crocin, picrocrocin, and safranal) will be extracted with 5 ml of methanol then filtered through glass wool. The resulting solution will be kept in the dark at −5°C in a thick-walled glass container. The crocin crystals will be separated from solution and washed with acetone to remove any remaining water. Quantification of the major constituents will be performed with high-performance thin layer chromatography (HPTLC), using crocin and picrocrocin standards. HPTLC (silica gel 60 F254) plates will be pre-washed with 2-propanol and activated at 100°C for 15 min. Two μl of sample solution and 1 μl of standard solution will be loaded onto the plates. Plates will be developed in a chamber containing ethyl acetate, 2-propanol, and water (13:5:2). Visualization of crocin and picrocrocin will be performed at 440 nm using a densitometer. Data will be analyzed by one-way analysis of variance and least significant differences using CoStat Version 6.4 (CoHort Software, Brookline, MA). In addition to quality of saffron produced, additional data will also be recorded and analyzed, including weed and disease incidence, insects, and other damage.2) Each production system used for objective 1 will be divided into two Bacillus subtilis treatments and a control that receives no biofungicide treatment, each of which will contain a total of 800 corms (200 corms in each of 4 replicates). Corms (except for controls) will be treated with Bacillus subtilis FZB24 at 1 or 2g/Lwater for 15 min. before planting at the KSU Research Farm and cooperator sites. Cultivation and quantification of saffron components will be carried out as described in the objective 1. At the conclusion of the study, corm size, weight and number will be also recorded and compared among treatments. Data analysis will be the same as objective 1.3) At least five volunteer workers per proposed saffron growing regimen will be selected to use non-invasive, ultralight weight, wearable sensor technology (Opal IMU; APDM, Portland, OR) during various operations involved in the growing and processing of saffron flowers. Data will include gait and balance analysis, kinematics, and repetitive motion as a continuous recording and will be obtained weekly from at least five volunteers and analyzed. This will facilitate offering a real-time risk evaluation for musculoskeletal disorders.4) The abilities of saffron samples to inhibit nitric oxide radical formation in activated macrophages will be determined by a colorimetric assay. Cells will be seeded in 96-well plates 24 h prior to treatment, then with C. sativus extracts and fractions at 50 μg/mL for 1 h before elicitation with LPS at 1 μg/mL for an additional 4 h. Subsequently, 100 μL of culture media will be mixed with 100 μL of Griess reagent, the mixture incubated at room temperature for 10 min, and read on a microplate reader at 540 nm. Absorbance will be compared against a calibration curve created with serial dilutions of sodium nitrite. RAW 264.7 cells treated with C. sativus crude extract and fractions will be harvested in TRIzol reagent for total RNA extraction and purification according to manufacturer protocols. cDNA synthesis and quantitative PCR analysis will be conducted using methods we previously adapted. In separate experiments, the efficacy of C. sativus extracts to suppress CCL26 secretion in stimulated human alveolar epithelial cells will be determined. Human alveolar type II epithelial cells (A549) will be grown at 37°C in a 95% humidified atmosphere at 5% CO2 in Dulbecco's Modified Eagle Medium (DMEM) Ham's F12K medium containing 2 mM L-glutamine adjusted to contain 1.5 g/L sodium bicarbonate and 10% fetal bovine serum (FBS). Cells will be grown to 80% confluence then growth will be arrested for 24 h by the absence of FBS prior to the experiment. Cell viability will be determined as described previously. A549 cells will be pre-incubated for 6 h with control media and extracts (10 μg/mL). After incubation, cells will be washed twice with calcium- and magnesium-free DMEM. Cells will be stimulated with IL-4 for an additional 24 h. Supernatants will be collected and frozen at -80°C until analysis. A CCL26-specific ELISA protocol will be performed according to manufacturer's protocols.5) The ability of saffron constituents to improve digestibility and bioaccessibility will be measured using an in vitro digestion model established by North Carolina State University's Plant for Human Health Institute (NCSU-PHHI). To facilitate the high throughput required to screen a selection of food digestion models, automation by a Teacan EVO fluid-handling robot will be employed to manage 72 digestions simultaneously. Approximately 100 mg portions of model food source plus saffron extract will be digested though simulated oral, gastric and small intestinal conditions relying on manipulation of pH and inclusion of relevant porcine enzymes and extracts. After digestion, aqueous bioaccessible fractions will be isolated by centrifugation and nutrient/phytochemical bioaccessibility calculated as the molar fraction of compounds from the starting material recovered following digestion.6) Data on saffron production (growing substrate preparation, labor, and other inputs) will be maintained by the PD and shared with an agricultural economist at KSU. These data will be used to predict the cost of saffron production and processing and to estimate breakeven prices of a hypothetical small-scale saffron enterprise. Samples of fresh, ready-to-use saffron obtained from this project will be distributed to independent restaurants in Kentucky to elicit their perceptions of the product, estimate demand, and determine their willingness to pay. The economist will generate a report combining production economics and marketing information to create a measure of viability of a small-scale farm business involved in saffron production and sales. Additionally, business planning and marketing ideas for saffron will be discussed with students registered in a capstone course and students will be encouraged to submit marketing strategies for saffron.7) A webpage on research progress, findings, and project-associated activities will be created and circulated via the KSU website. Concurrently, research findings, updates, and photographs will be disseminated through social network sites. Videos on growing, harvesting, and using saffron will be filmed and placed on YouTube and KSU's homepage. Workshops on saffron production as well as cooking with saffron will be offered through KSU's Third Thursday Thing workshop series and other KSU Extension activities. A new event dedicated to saffron cultivation and promotion ("Saffron Day") will be created. Extension factsheets and bulletins on saffron production and recipe cards with information on saffron will be produced. Finally, graduate and undergraduate students will participate in activities, including Saffron Day, KSU Field Day, and The Third Thursday Thing. We will actively recruit farmers throughout the course of the project.

Progress 03/01/19 to 02/29/24

Outputs
Target Audience:The targeted audience for this reporting period was consumers for taste testing and sensory evaluation. Two taste testing events were conducted, and volunteers were recruited on the Kentucky State University campus. The sensory evaluation took place at North Carolina State University with recruited volunteers. Changes/Problems:By the fifth year of cultivation, all saffron in the organic field, and high tunnel ground disappeared, and even the remaining few in green roof modules did not bloom. A part of the problem is predation and herbivory by animals such as deer and rabbits. However, the major damage was probably caused by the excess moisture from rainfall, which caused to corms to rot away during the summer of 2021. Another discouraging finding was that consumers preferredcheese cases and dishes without saffron. This is probably because saffron is exotic and many people are unfamiliar with its flavor. However, in one taste testing, we conducted a preliminary testing and adjusted the saffron amount to be used before the taste testing. Additionally, we had three levels of saffron amount. In this taste testing, participants were more favorable to baked goods (i.e., shortbread and pound cake) with saffron. Perhaps, the amount of saffron needs to be adjusted for people who are not used to saffron. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Training opportunities were providedto the PD and project collaborator (Crabtree) in organizing and conducting taste testing. The taste testing participants also had opportunities to have training in sensory evaluation. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Volunteers for taste testing were recruited through announcements via email to the College of Agriculture. The events were also posted at the College's Facebook page. A part of the findings has been presented at Kentucky Academy of Science and will also be presented at American Society for Horticultural Science Conference in Sept., 2024. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Nothing Reported

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? The last year of the project concentrated on taste testing and sensory evaluation since there was virtually no saffron harvested. Two taste testing events were conducted at Kentucky State University. The first test was evaluation of three types of cheese cake (plain, lemon and persimmon) containing with or without saffron. The second taste testing involved a preliminal testing to adjust the amount of saffron to be used. Two products were tested, and those include shortbread and pound cake with three levels of saffron amount. Finally, a sensory evaluation was conducted at North Carolina State University with three saffron recipes developed by a collaborator at University of Kentucky. These dishes were made with and without saffron.

Publications

  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Poudel, P., Whittinghill, L., Kobayashi, H., & Lucas, S. 2023. Evaluating the effects of Bacillus subtilis treatment and planting depth on saffron (Crocus sativus L.) production in a green roof system. HortScience 58:1267-1274.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Kobayashi, H. and Crabtree, S. 2023. Consumer preference on saffron uses in cheesecake, at Kentucky Academy of Science Annual Meeting, November, 2023 (poster).


Progress 03/01/22 to 02/28/23

Outputs
Target Audience:The target audience for this project includes small and limited-resource farmers that are seeking high value crops, and consumers that are interested in high quality domestic products. Recruitment of small and limited farmers has beencarried out, in part through Kentucky State University's Facebook. For this period, the purchased corms were sent to a bulb business owner who teaches at Chemeketa Community College in Salem, Oregon. Stigma threads were harvested from picked flowers, in part, as a part of student learning experience and a possible fund raising. Changes/Problems:There have been a couple of issues regarding this project. First of all, it seems the interest level in saffron is not markedly high in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. As this is a niche crop, and there is very little information, a persistent effort may be required to increase the interest among small and limited resource farmers. In addition, the saffron yield has substantially decreased over the time, partly due to heavy precipitation in 2021.Since this is a perennial crop, recovery from a decline may be sometimes difficult. Two changes were made in this project. The researcher who was going to investigate in vitro digestion with the Caco2 cell model had left North Carolina State University. Thus, saffron bioactivities were investigated on skin resilience. Findings from this project has been published as reported. Secondly, the Co-Pi at North Carolina State has agreed to conduct the taste testing with seven recipes developed for this project, and thus the testing site has been moved to North Carolina. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?This project has provided opportunities for both project participants and small and limited-resource farmers. Project participants, including a Co-I presented her findings at a professional meeting. This project also provided a postdoctoral scientist to analyze saffron phytochemical constituents and investigate the skin-protective properties of various saffron extracts such as tyrosinase and collagenase inhibition activities, antioxidant activity in mouse macrophage cells, collagen synthesis and hyaluronic acid synthesis and cell migration. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?One article on saffron bioactive compounds and skin health has been published in Journal of Herbal Medicine, and another article submitted to HortScience has been accepted. A Co-I of this project presented findings on analyses ofsaffron constituents(i.e., crocin, picrocrocin, safranal, and crocetin ) byHigh-performance thin-layer chromatography atAssociation of 1890 Research Directors Symposium in 2022. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?The focus of the project at this point is to conduct taste testing(s), which has been delayed, partly because of the consequences ofCOVID-19 since saffron yield has substantially declined last two years. Findings from this project have disseminated as various formats such as fact sheets, oral and poster presentations, dissertation and a few manuscripts. Findings from the year four and five as well as taste testings will be included for the final report.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Saffron stigma threads have been harvested and yield data have been generated to identify the suitable saffron growing systems in central Kentucky. Quality of harvested saffron and major saffron constituents, including crocin, crocetin, picrocrocin, and safranal have been quantified by high-performance thin layer chromatography by the piece of equipment purchased for the project. Co-PD's group (Dr. Mary Ann Lila) also analyzed saffron samples by gas-chromatography mass spectrometry, and have investigated skin-protective properties of saffron constituents. Seven saffron recipes that has a unique Kentucky flare have been developed by Chef Bob Perry of University of Kentucky. Advertisements were posted at Facebook to recruit farmers who were interested in saffron production, and a bulb grower who also teaches at Chemeketa Community College agreed to receive saffron to grow so that students will have a first-hand experience in harvesting ad growing saffron.

Publications

  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Accepted Year Published: 2023 Citation: Poudel, P.; Whittingill, L.; Kobayashi, H.; Lucas, S. 2023. Evaluating the effects of Bacillus subtilis treatment and planting depth on saffron (Crocus sativus L.) production in a green roof system. In review: HortScience
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Xiong, J.; Grace, M.H.; Kobayashi, H.; Lila, M.A. 2023. Evaluation of saffron extract bioactivities relevant to skin resilience. Journal of Herbal Medicine 37:100629 doi.org/10.1016/j.hermed.2023.100629
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2022 Citation: Patel, S.V.; Jackson, C.; Tope, A.M., Whittinghill, L.; Kobayashi, H. 2021. Evaluation of Quality of Saffron Based on Production Practices using High Performance Thin Layer Chromatography (HP-TLC). Presentation at Association of 1890 Research Directors Meeting.


Progress 03/01/21 to 02/28/22

Outputs
Target Audience:The target audience for this project includes small and limited-resource farmers that are seeking high value crops, and consumers that are interested in high quality domestic products. Recruitment of small and limited farmers was carried out, in part through Kentucky State University's Facebook, and two were chosen to grow and harvest saffron. One of them successfully sold his product to a business. Changes/Problems:Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many of planned activities were canceled to comply with both federal and state regulations. For instance, taste tasting iscurrently on hold because these involve close human interactions. The Co-PD of the project agreed to conduct taste testing at North Carolina State University once saffron recipes are developed. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?This project has provided opportunities for both project participants and small and limited-resource farmers. Project participants, including the former graduate student presented their findings at professional meetings and also at the Field day at Kentucky State University, where small and limited-resource farmers were updated about saffron production and product quality. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Research findings have been disseminated through various means, including presentations at both Kentucky State University (KSU) and national conferences for professional organizations (American Society for Horticultural Science and Association of 1890 Research Director), Kentucky State University's social media. An advertisement was posted at Facebook pages of both KSU-College of Agriculture and KSU Saffron, and two small farmers harvested saffron in the fall of 2021. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?The taste tasting will be conducted once saffron recipes with a regional flare are developed by Mr. Bob Perry,a Co-I of the project at University of Kentucky. Co-PD (Dr. Mary Ann Lila) agreed to carry out this portion of the activities at Plants for Huma Health Institute, North Carolina State University. Harvest of saffron is also planned, and the harvest data for three-year data will be used to develop cost estimation for saffron production in central Kentucky.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Saffron stigma threads have been harvested and yield data have been generated to identify the suitable saffron growing systems in central Kentucky. Quality of harvested saffron and major saffron constituents, including crocin, crocetin, picrocrocin, and safranal have been quantified by high-performance thin layer chromatography by the piece of equipment purchased for the project. Co-PD's group (Dr. Mary Ann Lila) also analyzed saffron samples by gas-chromatography mass spectrometry, and have investigated skin-protective properties of saffron constituents. Several saffron recipes that has a unique Kentucky flare are currently in development by Chef Bob Perry of University of Kentucky. Advertisements were posted at Facebook to recruit farmers who were interested in saffron production, and two harvested saffron stigma threads in the fall of 2021.

Publications

  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Under Review Year Published: 2021 Citation: Xiong, J.; Grace, M.H.; Kobayashi, H.; Lila, M.A. 2022. Evaluation of saffron extract bioactivities relevant to skin resilience. In review: Journal of Herbal Medicine
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Under Review Year Published: 2021 Citation: Poudel, P.; Whittinghill, L.; Kobayashi, H.; Lucas, S. 2022. Preliminary assessment of the saffron production in different growing systems in Kentucky, USA. In review: HortScience
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2021 Citation: Poudel, P.; Whittinghill, L.; Kobayashi, H. 2021. Saffron Types and Quality Indicators (Extension Fact Sheet)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2022 Citation: Patel, S.V.; Jackson, C.; Tope, A.M., Whittinghill, L.; Kobayashi, H. 2021. Evaluation of Quality of Saffron Based on Production Practices using High Performance Thin Layer Chromatography (HP-TLC). Presentation at Association of 1890 Research Directors Meeting.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2021 Citation: Patel, S.V.; Jackson, C.; Tope, A.M., Whittinghill, L.; Kobayashi, H. 2021. Saffron Production Practices and Quality of Saffron Harvested at Kentucky State University. Presented at 2021 Field Day (Sustainable Alternatives for Small Farmers).


Progress 03/01/20 to 02/28/21

Outputs
Target Audience:The target audience for this project includes small and limited-resource farmers that are seeking high value crops,and consumers thatare interested in high quality domestic products. Changes/Problems:Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many of planned activities were canceled to comply with both federal and state regulations. For instance, recipe development and taste tasting are currently on hold because these involve close human interactions. Scarcity of available students have also impacted the operation of this project. As regulations and restriction appear to ease, we intend to achieve the project objectives. In addition to the proposed objective, in vitro antioxidant and anti-inflammatory assays were performed using murine macrophage RAW264.7 cells to investigate inhibition of inflammation response with saffron. Higher concentration 100-200 µg/mL of saffron significantly reduced the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and nitric oxide production, which may be triggered by UV radiation, leading to release of inflammatory cytokines and causing oxidative damage to the cells. To further elucidate the mechanistic behind the skin-protective properties of saffron, the activities of crude saffron extract in a number of bioassays were evaluated and those include; tyrosinase inhibition, collagenase inhibition, antioxidant activities, and collagen synthesis, hyaluronic acid synthesis with in vitro cultured human dermal fibroblasts. The inhibition activities of saffron extract on tyrosinase and collagenase enzymes showed the IC50 (half-maximal inhibitory concentration) was 0.78 mg dry saffron powder/mL and 0.1 mg/mL, respectively. Collagen synthesis and hyaluronic acid synthesis of saffron extract were measured using primary dermal fibroblast normal human neonatal (HDFn) cells. The cell viability result showed no cytotoxicity at 5-250 µg/mL of saffron. At concentration 100-200 µg/mL, saffron extract significantly increased the collagen and hyaluronic acid syntheses, in a dose dependent manner. The saffron extract was also applied to the proliferation and migration of HDFn cells using in vitro scratch assay and resulted in active wound healing property at 50 µg/mL, comparable to the positive control 10% fetal bovine serum. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?A graduate student continued to work on production of saffron including watering, weeding, harvesting and collecting data. The student completed his study at KSU, and worked on a thesis. Other types of training were canceled to comply with the requirement and regulations during the COVID-19 pandemic. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The PI worked with an Extension associate to disseminate information on saffron production through the Facebook page. Results from this project so far have been presented at two scientific meetings, and published in a scientific journal. Additionally, two fact sheets, targeting small and limited-resource farmers, have been completed and were under review. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?We intend to achieve the project objectives such as recipe development and taste testing which were delayed by the COVID restrictions during the current year.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? In fall of 2020, saffron harvesting continued and flowers were collected from all four growing systems, including green roof modules, organic field, and ground of four high tunnels and growing bags in high tunnels. Harvesting started in October and concluded in late November. Flower fresh weight, size (petal width and length), weight and length of stigma threads were measured. In addition,data on leaf and flower emergence were also collected for each plot. Stigma threads were dried and stored as previously described. Optimization of high-performance thin layer chromatography andin vitroassays continued with commercially available saffron samples. Additionally, four main compounds crocins, crocetin, picrocrocin, and safranal were quantified based on peak area measurements in comparison to standards curves with reference standards by the Plants for Human Health Institute, a project collaborator. Extension activities such as Saffron Day, recipe development, and participation in the KSU Small Farmers' Conference as well as measurement on body stress due to harvesting were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Publications

  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Under Review Year Published: 2021 Citation: Xiong J., Grace M.H., Kobayashi H., and Lila M.A. Evaluation of saffron extract bioactivities relevant to skin resilience. Natural Product Research.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: Patel, S.V, Top�, A.M., Whittinghill, L. 2020. Chemical fingerprinting of commercially available saffron: High-performance thin layer chromatography. Advances in Nutrition and Food Science. DOI: 10.37722/ANAFS.20208
  • Type: Other Status: Under Review Year Published: 2021 Citation: Poudel, P., Whittinghill, L., Kobayashi, H. Saffron: A high-value crop. A fact sheet.
  • Type: Other Status: Under Review Year Published: 2021 Citation: Poudel, P., Whittinghill, L., Kobayashi, H. Saffron Harvesting to Optimize Yield and Quality. A fact sheet.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2021 Citation: Poudel, P., Whittinghill, L., Kobayashi, H., Lucas, S. Evaluating the effect of Bacillus subtilis treatment and planting depth on saffron (Crocus sativus) production in a green roof system after two growing seasons. American Society for Horticultural Science.
  • Type: Theses/Dissertations Status: Under Review Year Published: 2021 Citation: Poudel, P. Evaluating saffron production in four different growing systems in Kentucky.


Progress 03/01/19 to 02/29/20

Outputs
Target Audience:Target audience for this project includes small, and limited-resource farmers who are seeking for high-value niche crop, chefs and American consumers who are interested in domestic high-quality saffron. This project also targets graduate students and undergraduate students to provide opportunities to develop leadership and learn skills necessary in scientific research. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?A graduate student was recruited for this project and he participated in all activities related to planting, harvesting and growing saffron. A research assistant was temporary hired to assist planting and harvesting of saffron. Additionally, undergraduate students assisted when they were available. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The PI was present at the Small Farmers Conference hosted by Kentucky State University and reached to small and Limited-Resource farmers. Additionally, activities and information were posted at KSU saffron Facebook by the Co-investigator of this project. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Nothing Reported

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? In fall of 2019, organic saffron corms were purchased and planted in green roof modules, organic field, and ground of four high tunnels and growing bags in high tunnels. Organic saffron corms were also planted at four collaborators. Flowers were harvested throughout the blooming season, and stigma threads from saffron were extracted. A food dehydrator was used to dry stigma threads atdehydrator at 57.2°C (135°F) for 30 minutes.Data were collected and those include leaf and flower emergence, flower size (petal width and length), flower weight, stigma length and stigma weight. Stigma threads were placed in plastic containers with silica gels to store prior to analyses of samples. Pictures were taken at planting and harvesting and some of these were posted at KSU Saffron Facebook along with pictures from collaborators. Optimization of high-performance thin layer chromatography and in vitro assays were accomplished with commercially available saffron samples of different country origins. This was necessary to be performed before analyses of samples from this project.

Publications

  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: Poudel, P., Kobayahshi, H., Lucas, S., and Whittingill, L. 2020. Evaluation of Saffron (Crocus sativa L.) in Four Growing Systems. Presented at American Society for Horticultural Science, Southern Region Meeting.