Organizing co mmittee

FLOWER PETAL LIPIDS OF Crocus sativus 
 
Sh.R. Makhmudova, N.K. Yuldasheva, S.Z. Nishanbaev, S.D. Gusakova 
 
S.Yu. Yunusov Institute of the Chemistry of Plant Substances Academy of sciences of 
the Republic of Uzbekistan st. Mirzo-Ulugbek, 77, 100170 Tashkent 
e-mail: [e-mail] 
 
Two wild-growing species of crocus grow in Uzbekistan: 
Crocus alatavicus
and 
Crocus korolkovii
(family Iridaceae). 
C. sativus 
L. do not occur in the wild, but are 
cultivated in many countries (France, Holland, Turkey, Australia, etc.). Currently, work 
is underway on the cultivation of 
C. sativus
in Uzbekistan. Since ancient times, saffron 
has been used for therapeutic purposes in diseases of the liver, gallbladder, dry cough 
and skin diseases. Bactericidal, volatile, antiseptic properties of saffron are known. Due 
to its color and smell, saffron is widely used in the food industry. 
When the stigma-based saffron spice is obtained from 
C. sativus
flowers, a large 
number of petals are left as waste, which are a source of protein, fiber, fats, phenolic 
and biologically active compounds such as flavonoids, tannins and anthocyanins. The 
aim of the work is stadying of lipids and fatty acids (FA) of the flower petals of 
C. 
sativus
grown in the Jizzakh region in 2022. It was found that the petals (lilac color) 
contain 4.2% of total lipids, of which 1.55% are neutral lipids (NL) and 2.65% are polar 
lipids. Carotenoids (269.5 mg%), FA esters with aliphatic alcohols, triterpenols, and 
sterols, as well as free FAs, triterpenols, and sterols were found in NL.
Unsaponifiable 
substances (10.72%) and FA were isolated from NL by alkaline hydrolysis. Paraffin 
hydrocarbons, carotenoids (1438.32 mg%), free triterpenols and sterols were found 
among NIs. Fatty acids in the form of methyl esters were analyzed by GC on an Agilent 
GG 8860 chromatograph. The results are shown in the table. 
Table. Fatty acid composition of 
C. sativus
petal, GC, % by weight 
 
Fatty acid 
Content 
Fatty acid 
Content 
12:0-17:0 
3,08 
21:0 
0,30 
14:1, 16:1, 17:1 
5,65 
20:2 
1,15 
16:0 
26,88 
20:3 
0,16 
18:0 
2,98 
20:4 
0,41 
18:1n9 
3,15 
22:0 
0,17 
trans-
18:1 
1,35 
22:2 
0,90 
18:2n6 
41,85 
24:0 
0,54 
18:3n6 
10,46 
24:1 
0,42 
20:0 
0,59 
∑
saturated fatty acids
33,47 
20:1 
0,49 
∑
unsaturated fatty acids
66,53 
Thus, the flower petals of 
C. sativus 
are enriched in polar lipids, carotenoids, and 
unsaturated fatty acids, including polyunsaturated acids with high biological activity 
(18:3n6, 20:3, 20:4).