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Pharmaceuticals
Volume 19
Issue 1
10.3390/ph19010149
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This is an early access version, the complete PDF, HTML, and XML versions will be available soon.
Article

HPLC-ESI-QTOF-MS/MS-Guided Profiling of Bioactive Compounds in Fresh and Stored Saffron Corms Reveals Potent Anticancer Activity Against Colorectal Cancer

by
Sanae Baddaoui
1,*,
Ennouamane Saalaoui
1,
Oussama Khibech
2,
Diego Salagre
3,
Álvaro Fernández-Ochoa
4,
Samira Mamri
1,
Nahida Aktary
5,
Muntajin Rahman
5,
Amama Rani
5,
Abdeslam Asehraou
1,
Bonglee Kim
5,6,* and
Ahmad Agil
3
1
Laboratory of Bioresources, Biotechnology, Ethnopharmacology and Health, Faculty of Sciences, Mohammed First University, Bd Mohamed VI BP 717, Oujda 60000, Morocco
2
Laboratory of Applied Chemistry and Environment (LCAE), Faculty of Science, Mohammed First University, Bd Mohamed VI BP 717, Oujda 60000, Morocco
3
Department of Pharmacology, BioHealth Institute Granada (IBs Granada), Neuroscience Institute (CIBM), School of Medicine, University of Granada, 18016 Granada, Spain
4
Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences, University of Granada, 18011 Granada, Spain
5
Department of Pathology, College of Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 02447, Republic of Korea
6
Korean Medicine-Based Drug Repositioning Cancer Research Center, College of Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 02447, Republic of Korea
*
Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Pharmaceuticals 2026, 19(1), 149; https://doi.org/10.3390/ph19010149
Submission received: 17 December 2025 / Revised: 5 January 2026 / Accepted: 9 January 2026 / Published: 14 January 2026
(This article belongs to the Section Natural Products)
Versions Notes

Abstract

Background: Saffron (Crocus sativus L.) corms, often discarded as agricultural by-products, are a promising and sustainable source of bioactive metabolites with potential therapeutic relevance. However, their anticancer potential remains largely underinvestigated. Objectives: This study aimed to compare the phytochemical composition of hydroethanolic extracts from fresh (HEEF) and stored (HEES) saffron corms and to evaluate their anticancer effectiveness against colorectal cancer cells. Methods: Phytochemical profiling was performed using HPLC-ESI-QTOF-MS/MS. Cytotoxicity against T84 and SW480 colorectal cancer cell lines was determined by the crystal violet assay. Apoptosis-related protein modulation was assessed by Western blotting. Additionally, molecular docking, molecular dynamics simulations, and MM/GBSA calculations were used to investigate ligand–target binding affinities and stability. Results: Both extracts contained diverse primary and secondary metabolites, including phenolic acids, flavonoids, triterpenoids, lignans, anthraquinones, carotenoids, sugars, and fatty acids. HEES showed higher relative abundance of key bioactive metabolites than HEEF, which was enriched mainly in primary metabolites. HEES showed significantly greater dose-dependent cytotoxicity, particularly against SW480 cells after 24 h (IC50 = 34.85 ± 3.35). Apoptosis induction was confirmed through increased expression of caspase-9 and p53 in T84 cells. In silico studies revealed strong and stable interactions of major metabolites, especially 3,8-dihydroxy-1-methylanthraquinone-2-carboxylic acid with COX2 and crocetin with VEGFR2. Conclusions: Stored saffron corms possess a richer bioactive profile and show enhanced anticancer effects in vitro compared with fresh saffron corms, suggesting that they may represent a promising source of compounds for the future development of colorectal cancer therapeutics.
Keywords: Crocus sativus; corms; anthraquinones; anticancer; HPLC-ESI-QTOF-MS/MS; colorectal cancer Crocus sativus; corms; anthraquinones; anticancer; HPLC-ESI-QTOF-MS/MS; colorectal cancer

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MDPI and ACS Style

Baddaoui, S.; Saalaoui, E.; Khibech, O.; Salagre, D.; Fernández-Ochoa, Á.; Mamri, S.; Aktary, N.; Rahman, M.; Rani, A.; Asehraou, A.; et al. HPLC-ESI-QTOF-MS/MS-Guided Profiling of Bioactive Compounds in Fresh and Stored Saffron Corms Reveals Potent Anticancer Activity Against Colorectal Cancer. Pharmaceuticals 2026, 19, 149. https://doi.org/10.3390/ph19010149

AMA Style

Baddaoui S, Saalaoui E, Khibech O, Salagre D, Fernández-Ochoa Á, Mamri S, Aktary N, Rahman M, Rani A, Asehraou A, et al. HPLC-ESI-QTOF-MS/MS-Guided Profiling of Bioactive Compounds in Fresh and Stored Saffron Corms Reveals Potent Anticancer Activity Against Colorectal Cancer. Pharmaceuticals. 2026; 19(1):149. https://doi.org/10.3390/ph19010149

Chicago/Turabian Style

Baddaoui, Sanae, Ennouamane Saalaoui, Oussama Khibech, Diego Salagre, Álvaro Fernández-Ochoa, Samira Mamri, Nahida Aktary, Muntajin Rahman, Amama Rani, Abdeslam Asehraou, and et al. 2026. "HPLC-ESI-QTOF-MS/MS-Guided Profiling of Bioactive Compounds in Fresh and Stored Saffron Corms Reveals Potent Anticancer Activity Against Colorectal Cancer" Pharmaceuticals 19, no. 1: 149. https://doi.org/10.3390/ph19010149

APA Style

Baddaoui, S., Saalaoui, E., Khibech, O., Salagre, D., Fernández-Ochoa, Á., Mamri, S., Aktary, N., Rahman, M., Rani, A., Asehraou, A., Kim, B., & Agil, A. (2026). HPLC-ESI-QTOF-MS/MS-Guided Profiling of Bioactive Compounds in Fresh and Stored Saffron Corms Reveals Potent Anticancer Activity Against Colorectal Cancer. Pharmaceuticals, 19(1), 149. https://doi.org/10.3390/ph19010149

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