Work

Tissue-specific safranal accumulation in Gardenia jasminoides fruits: A potential source of a GRAS flavor compound from processing by-products

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: iAbstract Safranal, a GRAS-approved flavor compound with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities, is sourced almost exclusively from Crocus sativus stigmas at prohibitively high cost. Gardenia jasminoides , a medicine and food homology plant, has been proposed as an alternative, but whether its fruits naturally accumulate safranal remains controversial. Here, we quantified safranal in four fruit tissues (green pericarp, green sarcocarp, red pericarp, red sarcocarp) at two ripening stages using HS-SPME-GC-MS and LC-MS/MS, and characterized the expression of 14 core biosynthetic genes by qRT-PCR. Safranal was detected in all tissues, peaking in red sarcocarp (38.17 ng/g FW), followed by red pericarp (24.00 ng/g FW), green sarcocarp (1.40 ng/g FW), and green pericarp (0.28 ng/g FW). Although the levels are lower than those in C. sativus stigmas, the high fruit biomass and established cultivation of G. jasminoides warrant further investigation into whether its processing residues can serve as an alternative source of this GRAS flavor compound. Carotenogenic genes ( GjPSY , GjPDS , GjZDS , GjLCYB , GjBCH ) were predominantly upregulated in red pericarp, consistent with zeaxanthin accumulation. GjCCD2 was green-pericarp-specific, whereas GjCCD4a dominated in red tissues; six GjUGT709G1 paralogs showed divergent tissue- and stage-dependent expression. Together, GjCCD2 , GjCCD4a , and GjUGT709G1 paralogs represent candidates potentially contributing to safranal production in G. jasminoides fruits. These findings provide the first systematic evidence that safranal naturally accumulates in G. jasminoides fruits in a tissue-specific manner associated with transcriptional regulation. This work provides a molecular foundation for breeding and metabolic engineering strategies aimed at enhancing safranal yield in G. jasminoides .

Source: Industrial Crops and Products

DOI: 10.1016/j.indcrop.2026.124749

Authors: Wuke Wei, Yunxi Zhao, Liqin Chen, Yuan Pan, Ying Yang

Institutions: Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Chongqing Academy of Chinese Materia Medica

Language: English

Topic: Saffron Plant Research Studies

Subfield: Pharmacology

Field: Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutics

Domain: Life Sciences

SDG: Zero hunger

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $3,720