Methods and materials for recombinantly producing apocarotenoids from transgenic plants, and more particularly, tomato and potato plants, expressing heterologous genes from Crocus sativus, the saffron plant, under the control of specific promoters. Moreover, the genetic constructs including the heterologous genes are also related, and the use thereof for the expression in plants and to a method for obtaining transgenic plants which express the genetic construct mentioned above, and which have a high concentration of apocarotenoids products, in particular crocins and picrocrocins. Furthermore, the the food products obtained from such transgenic plants are also related, nutraceutical and pharmaceutical compositions including thereof and the use of such compositions as medicine, preferably for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease.