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Previous research has shown that natural medications pose health risks, especially in subjects with comorbidities. This study aimed to evaluate the safety of saffron ethanolic extract (SEE) administration in early and established atherosclerotic rabbits. Rabbits were given a high-cholesterol diet (HCD) for 4 and 8 weeks to induce early and established atherosclerosis respectively, and then they were treated with 50 and 100 mg/kg/day SEE. The body weight of the animals was recorded. Blood samples were collected at baseline, pre-treatment, and post-treatment for hematological studies, lipid profiles, and biochemical profiles. Tissue specimens of the vital organs were subjected to histological examination. The above parameters were significantly altered post-intervention with 4 and 8 weeks of HCD. No significant differences in body weight were observed in all the groups post-treatment with 50 and 100mg/kg of SEE compared to pre-treatment. However, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, total cholesterol, serum urea, and glucose significantly decreased post-treatment with 50 and 100mg/kg/day SEE compared to pre-treatment in early and established atherosclerosis groups. Hematological parameters that were affected post-intervention with HCD returned to their baseline values post-treatment with 50 and 100mg/kg/day SEE. There was a significant improvement in the vital organs post-treatment with 50 and 100mg/kg SEE. SEE can safely be administered without causing harmful effects on the hematological, biochemical profiles, and vital organs. Notably, SEE exerts hypolipidemic and hypoglycemic effects on atherosclerotic conditions. Further clinical trials are warranted to ensure the safety of saffron administration in patients with atherosclerosis-related diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This document is a correction notice for an article titled "Safety evaluation of saffron extracts in early and established atherosclerotic New Zealand white rabbits." The correction addresses errors in the Funding statement and Acknowledgements of the original article. The correct Funding statement acknowledges the Ministry of Higher Education Malaysia and Geran Insentif Penyeliaan Universiti Teknologi MARA as the funders of the research. The correct Acknowledgements recognize the Ministry of Higher Education Malaysia and Universiti Teknologi MARA for funding the project, as well as the Institute of Medical Molecular Biotechnology, Laboratory Animal Care Unit, and Clinical Diagnostic Laboratories of the Faculty of Medicine, UiTM for providing facilities. [Extracted from the article]