Determinazione simultanea dei componenti caratteristici di Crocus sativus L

Within a search program financed by E.E.C. (PIM - Sardegna - Misura 4 "Study on improvement of aromatic and officinal plants") a simple analytical method has been developed in order to determine simultaneously the concentration of crocetin, picrocrocin and safranal in saffron (dried stigmas of Crocus sativus L.) by absorbance measurements on the methanolic extracts of saffron. The employed solvent allowed to extract the typical components of saffron totally, without bringing about those hydrolytic reactions responsible for bad repeatability in similar analytical techniques based on aqueous and hydroalcoholic extracts.