Background and aim: Crocus sativus also known as saffron, is one of the most popular traditional plants. This study aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of saffron extracts in ADHD.
Method: This study includes clinical trial studies that assessed the efficacy and/or safety of saffron in ADHD patients. Non-English papers, review articles, commentaries, letters, observational studies, thesis, animal studies, in-vitro studies, and conference abstracts were not included. The risk of bias in randomized studies was evaluated based on the Cochrane RoB.2, and risk of bias in pre-post intervention studies was assessed using the ROBINS-I tool.
Results: Four studies met our inclusion criteria with a total of 118 patients. The results manifested an efficient role of saffron as either an adjuvant therapy to MPH or a single therapy against ADHD, without significant safety issues.
Discussion: Saffron demonstrates promise in improving ADHD symptoms, with an acceptable safety profile. Future well-designed multicentral studies are suggested.
Keywords: ADHD; Crocus sativus; attention deficit disorder with hyperactivity; saffron; systematic review.