Crocus sativus L. is used as a spice due to its organoleptic characteristics. Only flower stigmas are used for its production, as the rest of the flower is discarded as waste. This fact represents a lack of sustainability, since around 230,000 flowers are necessary to produce 1 kg of saffron. The main aim of this study was to contribute to the valorization of Crocus sativus L. spice and its floral by-products, through the study of their nutritional value and composition, in terms of hydrophilic and lipophilic compounds, as well as their functional properties. The results showed that saffron stigmas and floral bio-residues presented high contents of fiber, and the most abundant macronutrient were the carbohydrates, followed by proteins, and a low content in fats. All samples had high concentrations of glucose, fructose, lactic and malic acids, and minerals, mainly K, Ca and Mg. Furthermore, the polyunsaturated fatty acids were predominant, being linoleic acid (C18:2n6) the most abundant. Therefore, this research provides more in-depth information about the composition of saffron stigmas and floral by-products, to be considered as promising sources for the development of functional ingredients with new applications in the food industry.

Crocus sativus L. 由于其感官特性而被用作香料。其生产仅使用花的柱头，而花的其余部分则作为废物丢弃。这一事实表明缺乏可持续性，因为生产 1 公斤藏红花需要大约 230,000 朵花。本研究的主要目的是通过研究番红花香料及其花卉副产品的营养价值和成分、亲水性和亲脂性化合物及其功能特性，为番红花香料及其花卉副产品的价值做出贡献。结果表明，藏红花柱头和花生物残渣中纤维含量较高，常量营养素含量最多的是碳水化合物，其次是蛋白质，脂肪含量较低。所有样品都含有高浓度的葡萄糖、果糖、乳酸和苹果酸以及矿物质，主要是钾、钙和镁。此外，多不饱和脂肪酸占主导地位，其中亚油酸（C18:2n6）含量最丰富。因此，这项研究提供了有关藏红花柱头和花副产品的成分的更深入的信息，被认为是开发在食品工业中具有新应用的功能性成分的有希望的来源。