Therapeutic effects of saffron ingredients were studied in some diseases. The pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of these ingredients were also studied, but their transport mechanism is not clearly known. Serum albumin has been known as the most important transporter of many drugs in the body that affects their disposition, transportation, and bioavailability. Here, we investigated the interaction of crocin (Cro) with HSA, for the first time, and compared with the crocetin (Crt)–HSA interaction. UV and fluorescence spectroscopy, circular dichroism (CD), and molecular docking was applied to investigate the possibility and mechanism of binding of HSA with these natural carotenoids. The gradually addition of Cro increased HSA absorbency at 278 nm, while Crt decreased it. Both of these changes induced HSA unfolding that was confirmed by the decreased α-helix content, as determined by the CD. Both carotenoids quenched HSA fluorescence emission, but with different mechanisms. The Stern–Volmer plots indicated a dynamic quenching of intrinsic emission of HSA due to Cro addition, while Crt quenching followed both static and dynamic quenching mechanisms. Docking results indicated binding of Cro/Crt in sub-domain IIA, Sudlow site I of HSA, which accompanied with the hydrogen bonding of Cro/Crt with Tyr138. The interaction of these ligands (Cro/Crt) caused HSA unfolding and affects the hydrophobic environment of Trp241, which result in the quenching of Trp fluorescence. The UV spectroscopy and fluorescence quenching data indicated the differences in the mechanisms of interaction of Cro/Crt with HSA, which is due to the differences in the structure and hydrophobicity of these ligands.

Objective: Cardiovascular disorders are common in patients with panic disorder (PD), usually mediated by platelets. The present study was conducted to evaluate oxidative stress conditions and complete analysis of blood cells in patients with PD.Setting and Sample Population: Sixty healthy individuals and 60 patients were included in the study. Whole blood and serum samples were obtained from patients and controls.Materials & Method: Hematological studies, including blood cells count, hemoglobin, and hematocrit, were carried out on whole blood samples. In addition, oxidative stress indices including total antioxidant capacity, free oxygen species, and malondialdehyde concentration were measured in serum samples.Results: Results showed that patients with PD had a significant increase in mean platelet volume index (MPV), platelet distribution width (PDW), red blood cell distribution width (RDW), and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC) compared with healthy subjects (p < .05). Also, oxidative stress indices were significantly elevated in patients with PD compared with control group (p < .05).Conclusion: Elevated MPV is a hematologic indicator for patients with PD. This disorder may be caused by impaired serotonin metabolism, resulting in increased oxidative stress, as well as in platelet serotonin transporters. Regarding elevated oxidative stress, the risk of cardiovascular complications is high in patients with PD.

Background and Objective: Patients with panic disorder (PD) suffer from elevated oxidative stress as a consequence of serotonin metabolism disorder. These patients have elevated serotonin concentration and catabolism of serotonin via monoamine oxidase. The aim of the present study was to evaluate serum homocysteine concentration and its relationship with oxidative stress level in PD patients, regarding homocysteine as a diagnostic biomarker of heart disease.Materials & Method: Sixty patients with PD according to the DSM‐5 diagnostic criteria for a panic attack and 60 healthy individuals were included in the present study.Peripheral venous blood samples were taken from patients. Erythrocytes and serum were separated from blood, and RBC hemolysates were prepared to investigate oxidative stress indices including glutathione and glutathione peroxidase. Serum homocysteine and carbonyl groups concentrations were measured in all samples. Data were analyzed using ANOVA, and p < .05 was considered significant.Results: Results showed that serum carbonyl groups concentration was significantly higher in patients with PD than in healthy individuals (p < .001). The results also indicated decreased serum glutathione concentration and glutathione peroxidase activity in patients (p < .003). In addition, elevated homocysteine concentration in PD patients serum was observed during the present study (p < .003).Conclusion: Our findings support that patients with PD experience higher levels of oxidative stress, due to impaired serotonin metabolism, which is related to the prognosis of heart disease in these patients.

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common disorder of infertility which affects more than 100 million women. It is characterized by chronic anovulation, hyper androgenism and obesity. PCOS is also associated with oxidative stress changes. Here, we aimed to investigate the level of antioxidants and oxidative stress in Iranian women with PCOS as a predictive factor for cardiovascular disease for the first time in Iran. In this cross sectional study 30 women with PCOS and 30 healthy women were included. C-reactive protein, serum insulin, advanced oxidation protein products, and level of total antioxidants status were measured from blood samples. The levels of serum insulin, C-reactive protein, advanced oxidation protein productswere significantly increased in women with PCOS compared with healthy women but there was a decrease in level of total antioxidants status in PCOS women. These changes show that oxidative stress contributes to PCOS and the decrease of antioxidants leads to increase of oxidation products contributing to PCOS.