Crocins with high levels of sugar conjugation contribute to the yellow colours of early-spring flowering crocus tepals.
Crocus sativus is the source of saffron spice, the processed stigma which accumulates glucosylated apocarotenoids known as crocins. Crocins are found in the stigmas of other Crocuses, determining the colourations observed from pale yellow to dark red. By contrast, tepals in Crocus species display a...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Public Library of Science (PLoS)
2013-01-01
|
| Series: | PLoS ONE |
| Online Access: | http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC3772802?pdf=render |
| _version_ | 1818525750016344064 |
|---|---|
| author | Angela Rubio Moraga Oussama Ahrazem José Luis Rambla Antonio Granell Lourdes Gómez Gómez |
| author_facet | Angela Rubio Moraga Oussama Ahrazem José Luis Rambla Antonio Granell Lourdes Gómez Gómez |
| author_sort | Angela Rubio Moraga |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Crocus sativus is the source of saffron spice, the processed stigma which accumulates glucosylated apocarotenoids known as crocins. Crocins are found in the stigmas of other Crocuses, determining the colourations observed from pale yellow to dark red. By contrast, tepals in Crocus species display a wider diversity of colours which range from purple, blue, yellow to white. In this study, we investigated whether the contribution of crocins to colour extends from stigmas to the tepals of yellow Crocus species. Tepals from seven species were analysed by UPLC-PDA and ESI-Q-TOF-MS/MS revealing for the first time the presence of highly glucosylated crocins in this tissue. β-carotene was found to be the precursor of these crocins and some of them were found to contain rhamnose, never before reported. When crocin profiles from tepals were compared with those from stigmas, clear differences were found, including the presence of new apocarotenoids in stigmas. Furthermore, each species showed a characteristic profile which was not correlated with the phylogenetic relationship among species. While gene expression analysis in tepals of genes involved in carotenoid metabolism showed that phytoene synthase was a key enzyme in apocarotenoid biosynthesis in tepals. Expression of a crocetin glucosyltransferase, previously identified in saffron, was detected in all the samples. The presence of crocins in tepals is compatible with the role of chromophores to attract pollinators. The identification of tepals as new sources of crocins is of special interest given their wide range of applications in medicine, cosmetics and colouring industries. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-11T06:13:06Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-2e4cad44c8df4f5e9a300c24eadd1134 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1932-6203 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-11T06:13:06Z |
| publishDate | 2013-01-01 |
| publisher | Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | PLoS ONE |
| spelling | doaj.art-2e4cad44c8df4f5e9a300c24eadd11342022-12-22T01:18:04ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032013-01-0189e7194610.1371/journal.pone.0071946Crocins with high levels of sugar conjugation contribute to the yellow colours of early-spring flowering crocus tepals.Angela Rubio MoragaOussama AhrazemJosé Luis RamblaAntonio GranellLourdes Gómez GómezCrocus sativus is the source of saffron spice, the processed stigma which accumulates glucosylated apocarotenoids known as crocins. Crocins are found in the stigmas of other Crocuses, determining the colourations observed from pale yellow to dark red. By contrast, tepals in Crocus species display a wider diversity of colours which range from purple, blue, yellow to white. In this study, we investigated whether the contribution of crocins to colour extends from stigmas to the tepals of yellow Crocus species. Tepals from seven species were analysed by UPLC-PDA and ESI-Q-TOF-MS/MS revealing for the first time the presence of highly glucosylated crocins in this tissue. β-carotene was found to be the precursor of these crocins and some of them were found to contain rhamnose, never before reported. When crocin profiles from tepals were compared with those from stigmas, clear differences were found, including the presence of new apocarotenoids in stigmas. Furthermore, each species showed a characteristic profile which was not correlated with the phylogenetic relationship among species. While gene expression analysis in tepals of genes involved in carotenoid metabolism showed that phytoene synthase was a key enzyme in apocarotenoid biosynthesis in tepals. Expression of a crocetin glucosyltransferase, previously identified in saffron, was detected in all the samples. The presence of crocins in tepals is compatible with the role of chromophores to attract pollinators. The identification of tepals as new sources of crocins is of special interest given their wide range of applications in medicine, cosmetics and colouring industries.http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC3772802?pdf=render |
| spellingShingle | Angela Rubio Moraga Oussama Ahrazem José Luis Rambla Antonio Granell Lourdes Gómez Gómez Crocins with high levels of sugar conjugation contribute to the yellow colours of early-spring flowering crocus tepals. PLoS ONE |
| title | Crocins with high levels of sugar conjugation contribute to the yellow colours of early-spring flowering crocus tepals. |
| title_full | Crocins with high levels of sugar conjugation contribute to the yellow colours of early-spring flowering crocus tepals. |
| title_fullStr | Crocins with high levels of sugar conjugation contribute to the yellow colours of early-spring flowering crocus tepals. |
| title_full_unstemmed | Crocins with high levels of sugar conjugation contribute to the yellow colours of early-spring flowering crocus tepals. |
| title_short | Crocins with high levels of sugar conjugation contribute to the yellow colours of early-spring flowering crocus tepals. |
| title_sort | crocins with high levels of sugar conjugation contribute to the yellow colours of early spring flowering crocus tepals |
| url | http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC3772802?pdf=render |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT angelarubiomoraga crocinswithhighlevelsofsugarconjugationcontributetotheyellowcoloursofearlyspringfloweringcrocustepals AT oussamaahrazem crocinswithhighlevelsofsugarconjugationcontributetotheyellowcoloursofearlyspringfloweringcrocustepals AT joseluisrambla crocinswithhighlevelsofsugarconjugationcontributetotheyellowcoloursofearlyspringfloweringcrocustepals AT antoniogranell crocinswithhighlevelsofsugarconjugationcontributetotheyellowcoloursofearlyspringfloweringcrocustepals AT lourdesgomezgomez crocinswithhighlevelsofsugarconjugationcontributetotheyellowcoloursofearlyspringfloweringcrocustepals |