RESUMO
The apo-carotenoid compounds represented by crocins are the main medicinal components of Crocus sativus, which have extensive anti-oxidation, anti-inflammatory, anti-atherosclerosis, anticancer, antidepressant, and other pharmacological activities. Biosynthetic pathways of apo-carotenoids in C. sativus include the traditional upstream route of the synthesis of geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate to zeaxanthin starting from mevalonate, and downstream pathway for the specific synthesis of crocetin and crocin by cleavage of zeaxanthin. This article reviews the recent research of key enzymes involved in the metabolism of apo-carotenoids in C. sativus, which facilitates further analysis of downstream pathways for the synthesis of apo-carotenoid derivatives such as crocin, and further provides a theoretical basis for the use of metabolic engineering methods to increase the production of crocins and other pharmacodynamic substances.