The determination of saffron components in crude plant extracts by high-performance liquid chromatography-UV-visible photodiode-array detection on-line with mass spectrometry is described. The method is shown to be suitable for the determination of picrocrocin, the glycosidic precursor of safranal, safranal and flavonoids; it is the technique of choice for the analysis of crocetin glycosides (crocins) carrying one up to five glucoses and differentiation of their trans and cis isomers.