Objectives: Experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) is an animal model of human CNS demyelinating disease, multiple sclerosis (MS). This model is combined with inflammatory responses of the innate immune system with concurring free-radicals generation resulting to oxidative stress. Inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) is an enzyme that produces nitric oxide (NO) during the brain inflammatory conditions and is thought to contribute to the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis. Saffron extract or its active constituent, crocin, have been shown to pose potential therapeutic effects in different models of oxidative stress-induced neurodegenerative disorders. Materials & Methods: Herein, the potential effects of crocin (100mg/kg/day i.p.), as an herbal antioxidant was evaluated on the mRNA expression iNOS using real-time RT-PCR, following the induction of EAE. In this model, animals are introduced to the whole or parts of various proteins of the myelin sheet, which mounts the animal\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s immune system to attack on its own myelin. Results & Conclusion: Although the expression of iNOS was increased in EAE mice spinal cords, administration of crocin could significantly suppress its expression at day 7 after induction of EAE, resulting in alleviation of overall inflammatory responses. This indicates a potential therapeutic value of crocin in MS patients and defines a new pharmacological tool for reducing the neuroinflammation and oxidative injury occurs in brains and spinal cords of the MS patients. Keywords: Multiple sclerosis, iNOS, crocin (saffran), EAE.

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