  Saffron (Crocus sativus L.) is a triploid, sterile, monocot plant belonging
to the family Iridaceae, sub-family Crocoideae. C.sativus only blooms once a
year and should be collected within a very short duration, the stigmas of
Saffron flowers are harvested manually and subjected to desiccation then have
been used as a spice. It has been also used as a drug to treat tumors, cancer,
chronic uterine hemorrhage, insomnia, scarlet fever, smallpox, colds, and
cardiovascular disorders. It has been shown that saffron is a protective agent
against chromosomal damage. Saffron has been vegetatively propagated by corm,
each mother corm produces 7-8 cormlets each year. The main colors of saffron,
crocetin, and crocetin glycosides, and the main flavors, picrocrocin, Safranal
is the main component of aroma and Its bitter taste is related to
Glycosidepicrocrocin that is derived from the oxidative cleavage of the
carotenoid, zeaxanthin.by zeaxanthin cleavage dioxygenase (ZCD). We
investigated gene expression of ZCD in vitro by using tissue culture of
perianth obtained from immature flora buds of Ghaen of Khorasan province, Iran,
on MS medium supplemented by 10 mg/L NAA and BAP. RNA of each sample was
extracted using RNx method; followed by RT-PCR techniques. The results
indicated that ZCD was present in perianth of all cultured samples of mentioned
areas. Investigation of this pathway which controls the saffron apocarotenoid
pigments in perianth is important to produce saffron with high quality and
quantity. The results showed that the expression of ZCD in perianth whether
through mevalonic acid or non-mevalonic acid needs more investigation
