Washington – The international research group that made a breakthrough in the understanding of the properties of saffron is led by Giovanni Giuliano from the ENEA. According to the study, published in the latest issue of the prestigious scientific journal PNAS, the stigmas of saffron owe their red color to crocetin and crocin, natural molecules derived by cutting a carotenoid molecule. The same reaction also gives rise to molecules involved in the aroma and flavor of saffron. The discovery of the gene responsible for the cleavage reaction, called CCD2 (Carotenoid Cleavage dioxygenase 2), was made from the group comprising researchers from the King Abdullah University for Science and Technology (Saudi Arabia), University of Freiburg (Germany) and the University of Castilla-La Mancha (Spain), all led by Giovanni Giuliano. The research, funded by the European Commission (projects METAPRO and DISCO) and by national funds, makes a step forward in the understanding of how natural molecules are produced.
