Effect of Saffron (Crocus Sativus) Administration on Kidney Function in Normal Cats as Determined by Use of 99mTc-DTPA Renal Scintigraphy

Objective- to evaluate and compare kidney function with and without saffron administration andconsider the diuretic and nephroprotective effects of aqueous extract of this substance in normal cats. design- descriptive study animals- 6 female healthy cats (age: 2 to 4 years, average weight: 4 kg) - no clinical sign of renal disorders and prior to presentation procedures- the scintigraphy of right and left kidney was performed using gamma camera (piker model) and 99mtc-dtpa as radiopharmaceutical with and without saffron administration. the average quantities of total and individual gfr, time to peak activity (top), emptying half time and 3-min activity are the determined parameters in this evaluation. results- a significantly higher amount of total gfr was present at the end of the study with saffron administration compared with control study with saline administration (p= 0.017). also t1/2 of the treatment renograms was significantly shorter than that of the control renograms (p=0.002 for right kidney and p=0.001 for left kidney). conclusion and clinical relevance- administration of saffron increased the glomerular filtration rate and shortened the emptying half-time of radiopharmaceutical. this study shows that saffron as a harmless substance can play as a diuretic substance, therefore can play a significant role in the diagnosis and treatment of many diseases.