Development of Nanoemulsion Techniques for Iranian Saffron to Improve Bioactive Compound Extraction

Iranian saffron is popular for its valuable bioactive compounds, like crocin, picrocrocin, and safranal, as it is the most produced saffron in the whole world. It adds a unique aroma, beautiful color and a pleasant taste to many traditional dishes. Saffron as an extract has long been used, and is still widely used in everyday Iranian cooking. Extracting saffron's useful compounds well is important for food and industrial uses. Nanoemulsion is a new technique that can improve the extraction, stability, and absorption of saffron’s active ingredients and nanoemulsification is one of the best ways to reduce fraud and theft related to saffron as a high-value product. This article explains saffron chemistry, different nanoemulsion methods, and how nanoemulsions work. It also reviews the current status of saffron nanoemulsions, and their uses in industry. Finally, it points out research gaps and future directions to make saffron nanoemulsions more effective and useful.