What are the Benefits and Effects of Saffron-Infused Wine?
The main benefits and effects of soaking saffron in wine include protecting the liver and gallbladder, immunomodulation, antitumor, and anticoagulant effects. Here are the details:
1. Liver and Gallbladder Protection: Saffron has the ability to protect the liver and gallbladder. Saffron acid can lower cholesterol and increase fat metabolism. It can be used in combination with traditional Chinese herbs such as hawthorn, cassia seed, and alisma orientalis to treat fatty liver disease. By improving microcirculation and promoting bile secretion and excretion, saffron can reduce abnormally elevated globulin and total bilirubin levels, making it suitable for the treatment of liver cirrhosis following chronic viral hepatitis. Saffron acid also has a chemopreventive effect on early acute liver damage caused by toxic substances, showing promise for the treatment of chronic cholecystitis.
2. Immunomodulation: Saffron is clinically used to treat various chronic diseases in humans. Through its effects of promoting blood circulation to remove blood stasis, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory actions, it enhances the body's endurance and lymphocyte proliferation response, thereby improving cellular and humoral immunity. This helps regulate the function of the body's qi mechanism and balance yin and yang.
3. Antitumor Effect: Modern research has found that saffron preparations have significant anticancer and antitumor capabilities.
4. Anticoagulant Effect: Hot water extracts of saffron have significant anticoagulant effects. They can prolong the plasma prothrombin time and activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT), inhibit ADP and collagen-induced platelet aggregation, and accelerate the fibrinolytic action of urokinase and fibrinolysin. A study using synthetic substrate decomposition method showed that saffron extracts inhibited the decomposition of chromogenic synthetic substrate (PS-944) caused by fibrinolysin in a concentration-dependent manner, with an IC50 of 24.5mg/ml. The inhibition pattern was non-competitive.
