Crocin as good as fluoxetine in mild-to-moderate obsessive-compulsive disorder

In the treatment of patients with mild-to-moderate obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), crocin appears to be as effective as fluoxetine, with the advantage of fewer adverse effects, according to a study.

The study randomized 50 adult patients with OCD to receive either crocin (15 mg) or fluoxetine (20 mg) capsules for 8 weeks. Treatment was administered once daily in the first month, and then twice daily in the following month.

Researchers used the Yale-Brown Obsessive-compulsive scale (Y-BOCS) and Hamilton Anxiety Rating scale (HARS) to compare the two treatment arms.

Over 2 months, the mean Y-BOCS score significantly decreased in both treatment arms (p=0.0001). The same was true for the HARS score, dropping by 4.12 (from 17.16 to 13.04) with crocin and by 5.94 (from 18.28 to 12.34) with fluoxetine.

Both the Y-BOCS and the HARS score after the 2-month treatment were comparable in the crocin and fluoxetine arms (p>0.5).

Meanwhile, there were fewer adverse effects recorded in the crocin vs the fluoxetine arm.

The role of natural antioxidants such as crocin, the major water-soluble active ingredient of saffron, has been explored in previous studies. As a carotenoid, crocin acts as an exclusive and strong antioxidant in neurons. An animal study revealed that the compound was able to reduce mCPP-stimulated excessive self-grooming in rats without compromising motor activity. [Neurosci Lett 2012;528:27-30]