Use of saffron and/or safranal and/or crocin and/or picrocrocin and/or derivatives thereof as a sateity agent for treatment of obesity

Abstract

Use of saffron and its active ingredients, such as safranal and/or picrocrocin and/or crocin and/or derivatives thereof, for the production of an active satiation agent for the treatment of problems of overweight.

1 - 9 . (canceled) 
   
   
       10 . A method of managing and/or treating a condition selected from the group consisting of obesity, health problems linked to being overweight, dietary problems, compulsive nibbling cravings linked to stress, depression, and an overweight condition to reduce or control at least one of daily calorie intake, body weight, and physical appearance, and combinations thereof, comprising:
 administering to a subject in need thereof, an effective amount of an active satiation agent to manage and/or treat the conditions, wherein,   the active satiation agent comprises at least one active ingredient selected from the group consisting of saffron, safranal, derivatives of safranal, picrocrocin, derivatives of picrocrocin, crocin, and derivatives of crocin.   
   
   
       11 . The method according to  claim 10 , wherein, the active agent further comprises at least one pharmaceutically and/or dietarily acceptable excipient or vehicle. 
   
   
       12 . The method according to  claim 10 , the effective amount provides at least one active ingredient in an amount between 0.05 mg/day and 100 mg/day. 
   
   
       13 . The method according to  claim 12 , wherein the effective amount provides at least one active ingredient in an amount between 0.02 mg/day and 10 mg/day. 
   
   
       14 . The method according to  claim 10 , wherein the at least one active ingredient is present in an amount between 0.01 and 50% relative to the total weight of the satiation agent when the satiation agent is in a solid form or relative to the volume of the satiation agent when the satiation agent is in liquid form. 
   
   
       15 . The method according to  claim 14 , wherein the at least one active ingredient is present in an amount between 0.05 and 20% relative to the total weight of the satiation agent when the satiation agent is in a solid form or relative to the volume of the satiation agent when the satiation agent is in liquid form. 
   
   
       16 . The method according to  claim 15 , wherein the at least one active ingredient is present in an amount between 0.1 and 10% relative to the total weight of the satiation agent when the satiation agent is in a solid form or relative to the volume of the satiation agent when the satiation agent is in liquid form. 
   
   
       17 . A method of producing an active satiation agent for managing and/or treating condition selected from the group consisting of obesity, health problems linked to being overweight, dietary problems, compulsive nibbling cravings linked to stress, depression, and an overweight condition to reduce or control at least one of daily calorie intake, body weight, and physical appearance, and combinations thereof, comprising:
 combining (i) at least one active ingredient selected from the group consisting of saffron, safranal, derivatives of safranal, picrocrocin, derivatives of picrocrocin, crocin, and derivatives of crocin with (ii) at least one pharmaceutically and/or dietarily acceptable excipient or vehicle.   
   
   
       18 . The method according to  claim 17 , wherein the satiation agent is in a form selected from the group consisting of a solution or an aqueous suspension in a glass ampoule, a spray, a beverage, a form suitable for a dropper bottle, a coated or uncoated tablets, gel capsules, capsules, powders, effervescent tablets, granules, strips, and lozenges. 
   
   
       19 . The method according to  claim 17 , wherein the at least one active ingredient is present in an amount between 0.01 and 50% relative to the total weight of the satiation agent when the satiation agent is in a solid form or relative to the volume of the satiation agent when the satiation agent is in liquid form. 
   
   
       20 . The method according to  claim 19 , wherein the at least one active ingredient is present in an amount between 0.05 and 20% relative to the total weight of the satiation agent when the satiation agent is in a solid form or relative to the volume of the satiation agent when the satiation agent is in liquid form. 
   
   
       21 . The method according to  claim 20 , wherein the at least one active ingredient is present in an amount between 0.1 and 10% relative to the total weight of the satiation agent when the satiation agent is in a solid form or relative to the volume of the satiation agent when the satiation agent is in liquid form. 
   
   
       22 . The method according to  claim 17 , wherein safranal, derivatives of safranal, picrocrocin, derivatives of picrocrocin, crocin, and derivatives of crocin are extracted by a process selected from the group consisting of hydrodistillation followed by liquid/liquid extraction, a vacuum microwave hydrodistillation (VMHD), an extraction with supercritical CO 2 , an extraction with ultrasound, an extraction with ion exchange resins with co-solvents and solvents of polar and/or apolar elution, and a set of solid/liquid extraction followed by liquid/liquid extractions. 
   
   
       23 . An active satiation agent comprising:
 at least one active ingredient selected from the group consisting of saffron, safranal, derivatives of safranal, picrocrocin, derivatives of picrocrocin, crocin, and derivatives of crocin, and   at least one pharmaceutically and/or dietarily acceptable excipient or vehicle.   
   
   
       24 . The active satiation agent according to  claim 23 , wherein the satiation agent is in a form selected from the group consisting of a solution or an aqueous suspension in a glass ampoule, a spray, a beverage, a form suitable for a dropper bottle, a coated or uncoated tablets, gel capsules, capsules, powders, effervescent tablets, granules, strips, or lozenges. 
   
   
       25 . The active satiation agent according to  claim 23 , wherein the at least one active ingredient is present in an amount between 0.01 and 50% relative to the total weight of the satiation agent when the satiation agent is in a solid form, or relative to the volume of the satiation agent when the satiation agent is in liquid form. 
   
   
       26 . The active satiation agent according to  claim 25 , wherein the at least one active ingredient is present in an amount between 0.05 and 20% relative to the total weight of the satiation agent when the satiation agent is in a solid form, or relative to the volume of the satiation agent when the satiation agent is in liquid form. 
   
   
       27 . The active satiation agent according to  claim 26 , wherein the at least one active ingredient is present in an amount between 0.1 and 10% relative to the total weight of the satiation agent when the satiation agent is in a solid form, or relative to the volume of the satiation agent when the satiation agent is in liquid form.