Title:A Comprehensive Review of Minerals, Trace Elements, and Heavy Metals
in Saffron
Volume: 23
Issue: 11
Author(s): Sayyed Mohammad Ali Noori, Mohammad Hashemi and Sajjad Ghasemi*
Affiliation:
- Medical Toxicology Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
- Department of Nutrition, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
Keywords:
Saffron, minerals, trace elements, heavy metals, geographical origin, minor components.
Abstract: Saffron is one of the most expensive spices in the world, and its popularity as a tasty food
additive is spreading rapidly through many cultures and cuisines. Minerals and heavy metals are minor
components found in saffron, which play a key role in the identification of the geographical origin,
quality control, and food traceability, while they also affect human health. The chemical elements in
saffron are measured using various analytical methods, such as techniques based on spectrometry or
spectroscopy, including atomic emission spectrometry, atomic absorption spectrometry, inductively
coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry, and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. The
present study aimed to review the published articles about heavy metals and minerals in saffron across
the world. To date, 64 chemical elements have been found in different types of saffron, which could be
divided into three groups of macro-elements, trace elements, and heavy metals (trace elements with a
lower gravity/greater than five times that of water and other inorganic sources). Furthermore, the
chemical elements in the saffron samples of different countries have a wide range of concentrations.
These differences may be affected by geographical conditions such as physicochemical properties of
the soil, weather, and other environmental conditions like saffron cultivation and its genotype.
