One of the first substances that was reported to produce an oxygen diffusion-enhancing effect was crocetin,[REF] a carotenoid that occurs naturally in plants such as crocus sativus, and is related to another carotenoid, saffron.
Trans sodium crocetinate (TSC), a synthetic drug containing the carotenoid structure of trans crocetin has been extensively investigated in animal disease models and in human clinical trials [REF].