The safety assessment of saffron (Crocus sativus L.) on sympathovagal balance and heart rate variability; a comparison with amiodarone

1. Dry stigmas of the Crocus sativus L. (Saffron) are well known in world as a popular flavouring and therapeutic agent. The anxiolytic, antidepressant, anticonvulsant and antiarrhythmic effects of saffron suggest that it may affect the autonomic control of the heart.
2. This study assessed its safety on cardiac sympathovagal balance and heart rate variability in rat.
3. Experimental groups were control, Saf50, Saf100, Saf200 (received saffron at dosages of 50 and 100 and 200 mg/kg/d, orally, respectively) and Amio (received 30 mg/mL/kg/d of amiodarone, orally, for 7 days) groups. On day 8, the frequency domain and time domain indices of animals' electrocardiograms were calculated.
4. The heart rate decreased and RR interval increased in Saf200 and Amio groups (P<.05 vs other groups). Square root of the mean squared differences of successive RR intervals enhanced in all treated groups, however, was only significant in Amio group (P<.05). The SD1/SD2 ratio was higher in Saf200 and Amio groups. Both low-frequency (LF) and high-frequency (HF) parameters were higher, and the LF/HF ratio was non-significantly lower in treated groups.
5. The findings suggest that saffron not only has no harmful effect on activity of cardiac autonomic nervous system, but it may improve the stability of heart sympathovagal balance in normal rat.