Riboflavine and thiamine contents of saffron, crocus sativus Linn.

Abstract

Four authenticated samples of saffron were analysed by us for the presence of riboflavine and thiamine by use of the spectrophotometer. An acetic acid buffer (pH 4.5) extract of saffron to which papain was added was taken. The pigment in the extract obtained (after destroying the enzyme papain by heating) was destroyed by addition of 10 ml. of 4 per cent potassium permanganate after adjusting the extract to pH 3.7 with glacial acetic acid. Hydrogen peroxide was added to destroy the excess of permanganate. The filtrate obtained was made up to volume and its fluorescence read on a spectrophotometer. The presence of fluorescing substances other than riboflavine was ruled out because on addition of sodium hydrosulphite solution in 0.2 M disodium phosphate, no fluorescence was observed, which would not have been the case had fluorescent substances other than riboflavine been present in the extract. By treating an aliquot of the permanganate extract obtained above with alkaline potassium ferrocyanide and isobutyl alcohol, the thiamine was oxidized to thiochrome which gets transferred to the isobutyl alcohol layer because of its greater solubility in that solvent. After drying this extract over anhydrous sodium sulphate, readings for thiamine were taken on the spectrophotometer.