ABSTRACT
Saffron, the dried stigmas of the flower of Crocus sativus Linnaeus, is the most expensive spice in the world, and therefore the target of fraudulent practices. Many different approaches have been developed for saffron fraud prevention, among which omic ones show great potential. The genus Crocus consists of many species that occur in the wild and are distributed in central and southern Europe, North Africa, and Asia Minor. Regarding the life cycle of the plant, the flowering stage takes place once a year for a short period of time. The coloring properties of saffron are attributed to a group of water-soluble apocarotenoids rarely found in nature, the crocins, which are tetraterpenoid compounds with seven conjugated double bonds. Despite the many suggestions, only recently has strong evidence for the biosynthesis of the aglycone crocetin and its sugar esters become available.
