Work

Montbretia flowers as a source of bioactive crocins: Biotechnology tools and delivery systems

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Crocins are powerful antioxidants with therapeutic properties, including anti-inflammatory, anticancer, and antidepressant effects. The ornamental plant Crocosmia x crocosmiiflora is cultivated for its vibrant flowers, where crocins serve as major pigments, primarily comprising molecules with eight glucose units, followed by six- and seven-glucose variants. Transcriptomic analysis identified a carotenoid cleavage dioxygenase (CCD) gene, CroCCD2, belonging to the CCD2 subfamily. Functional assays in bacteria and Nicotiana benthamiana showed that CroCCD2 efficiently converts zeaxanthin into crocetin, a key intermediate in crocin biosynthesis. Further, crocins’ anti-inflammatory effects were found to depend on their transport via exosomes or liposomes, emphasizing the importance of vehiculation for bioactivity. This study highlights the specialization of CCD subfamilies in monocots and dicots for crocin biosynthesis and suggests that CroCCD2 could be introduced into highly productive crops to produce bioactive apocarotenoids, laying a foundation for future research on crocin metabolism in C. x crocosmiiflora.

Source: Biotechnology Reports

DOI: 10.1016/j.btre.2025.e00891