Saffron, as an adjunct therapy, contributes to relieve depression symptoms: An umbrella meta-analysis

Musazadeh V, Zarezadeh M, Faghfouri AH, Keramati M, Ghoreishi Z, Farnam A · Pharmacological Research · 2022 January

DOI 10.1016/j.phrs.2021.105963

Objective

To investigate the impact of saffron administration on depression through an umbrella meta-analysis of relevant studies.

Conclusions

Saffron consumption significantly reduced BDI scores, indicating potential efficacy in alleviating depression. However, it did not show significant changes in HAMD scores and mixed scores (HAM-D/BDI/DASS), suggesting that saffron alone may not be considered a sole therapeutic approach for treating depression.

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Insights

Saffron intake might aid in reducing depressive symptoms but it should not be regarded as an exclusive solution for treating depression.

This study conducted a comprehensive umbrella meta-analysis of previously published research studies to evaluate the effect of saffron on depression. The researchers collected the relevant studies from various acclaimed international databases like PubMed, Scopus, EMBASE, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Central Library, up until June 2021. All gathered research was based on the effects of saffron on depression. A random-effects model was employed to conduct the meta-analysis and additional analyses, which included subgroup and sensitivity examination. The meta-analysis consisted of seven individual studies altogether. The evaluations displayed that the consumption of saffron led to an observable decrease in Beck's Depression Inventory (BDI) scores, indicating a reduction in depressive feelings. However, the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD) scores didn't exhibit any significant change post saffron consumption. Some other mixed scores also remained unchanged. Thus overall, it was deduced that while saffron intake might help alleviate depression, it can't solely be relied upon for effectively treating this mental disorder.