Crocin, a water-soluble carotenoid, is known as a pharmacologically active compound, particularly for its potent anti-oxidant activity. The present work provides a comprehensive review of the available literature concerning the anti-inflammatory properties of crocin in various organs/systems as well as its anti-nociceptive effects. PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science electronic databases were systematically searched up to 28 March 2020 to detect all relevant preclinical and human studies in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) statement. In total, 104 studies were included for qualitative synthesis. This systematic search and review indicated that crocin not only combats reactive oxygen species production and suppresses pro-inflammatory cytokines secretion but also alleviates inflammation in various organs (e.g. the lung, heart, brain, and kidney), in a series of animal models and in vitro experiments, via regulating mainly NF-κB pathway and NF-κBp65 translocation to the cell nucleus. In this context, modulation of PI3K/Akt appears to be a favorable crocin target contributing to NF-κB pathway inhibition. Even though data is limited in humans with only one clinically relevant study retrieved, the results of preclinical studies regarding anti-inflammatory/anti-nociceptive effects of crocin are promising and warrant further testing in clinical settings.

番红花是一种水溶性类胡萝卜素，因其有效的抗氧化活性而被称为药理活性化合物。本工作提供了有关番红花在各种器官/系统中的抗炎特性及其抗伤害感受作用的现有文献的全面综述。截至2020年3月28日，系统搜索了PubMed，Scopus和Web of Science电子数据库，以根据“系统评价和荟萃分析的首选报告项目”（PRISMA）声明，检测所有相关的临床前和人体研究。总共包括104个定性综合研究。在体外实验中，主要通过调节NF-κB途径和NF-κBp65向细胞核的转运。在这种情况下，PI3K / Akt的调节似乎是促进NF-κB通路抑制的良好的crocro靶标。即使仅检索了一项与临床相关的研究，人类的数据有限，但有关番红花的抗炎/抗伤害感受作用的临床前研究结果还是有希望的，并有必要在临床环境中进行进一步测试。