Chinese J. of Northwest Pharm. 28 (3), 231-235 (2013). Berberis heteropoda Schrank, a Xinjiang special medicinal herb, is a perennial shrub, produced in northwest and southwest China, and is widely used as a herbal TCM drug. It is used for the treatment of dysentery, diarrhea, swollen eyes, eczema, etc. For quality control, identification of three alkaloids by TLC of the sample extracts and the standards berberine hydrochloride, palmatine chloride and jatrorrhizine hydrochloride on silica gel with toluene – ethyl acetate – methanol – isopropanol – ammonia 12:6:4:3:1 (determined by investigating three mobile phase systems), detection under UV 366 nm. In addition to optimization of the stationary phase, the developing system and the detection technique, the method was validated by investigating the effects of the sample application volume (2-3 μL), the developing temperature (room temperature) and the relative humidity (42-65 %).

by high-performance thin-layer chromatography) (Chinese). J. Chinese Trad. Patent Med. 35 (12), 2752-2754 (2013). Chimonanthus nitens Oliv. is a plant of the Calycanthaceae family growing in Jiangxi and Anhui areas of China. Pharmacological studies showed that the chemical constituents of the extracts of its dry leaves are volatile oils, alkaloids, flavonoids, coumarins, etc. The dry leaves are used clinically as the main ingredient drug in TCM prescriptions for the treatment of infantile cough, respiratory tract infection, hand foot and mouth disease and chronic pelvic inflammatory disease, etc. For quality control, HPTLC of the sample extracts and the standards cineole, linalool and beta-caryophyllene on silica gel firstly with chloroform – methanol 9:1 to 5 cm and then with petroleum ether (30-60 °C) – ethyl acetate 10:1 to 10 cm, detection by spraying with 1 % vanillin in sulfuric acid – ethanol 1:4 and heating at 110 °C. Quantitative determination by densitometric evaluation at 606 nm for cineole and linalool and 545 nm for beta-caryophyllene using external standard calibration method. The content of the total unknown components is also given taking linalool as the calibration standard. Validation of the method by investigation of its linearity range (for cineole 0.7-11.4 µg/zone, r=0.990, n=7; for beta-caryophyllene 0.7-10.9 µg/zone, r=0.992, n=7; for linalool 1.8-18.0 µg/zone, r=0.990, n=7), precision (%RSD (n=6) 3.9 %, 1.5 % and 0.6 % for cineole, beta-caryophyllene and linalool, respectively), stability (within 30 min, %RSD (n=6) 2.0 %, 3.0 % and 3.3 % for cineole, beta-caryophyllene and linalool, respectively) and reproducibility (%RSD (n=6) 2.7 %, 4.4 % and 3.2 % for cineole, beta-caryophyllene and linalool, respectively). The recovery for cineole was 82.3-93.4 % (%RSD (n=3) 2.6-4.1 %), for beta-caryophyllene 86.1-96.7 % (%RSD (n=3) 2.2-3.6 %) and for linalool 95.8-109.8 % (%RSD (n=3) 1.9-2.9 %). Some unknown separated components need to be identified in a further study.

Chinese J. Sci. & Technol. Review 17, 220-221 (2013). Zhihe Piba Keli pill is a TCM compound for the treatment of cough. For quality control, microemulsion TLC of Stemona sessilifolia (Miq.) Miq., Morus alba L. and Cynanchum glaucescens (Decne.) Hand.-Mazz on polyamide thin-films with (SDS - n-butanol – n-heptane 2.7:6.3:1.0) – formic acid 9:1, detection at UV 366 nm. Demonstration by applying to real life samples indicated that the procedure was suited for quality control.

(Chinese). Chinese J. Ethnomed. Ethnopharm. 16, 16-18 (2013). Buqi Shengxie Tie plaster is a TCM patch for the treatment of anemia and white blood cell reduction, etc. Ferulic acid is one of the effective ingredients known. To investigate the skin permeability of ferulic acid in the patches, the patches were applied for different durations to three selected patients. Preparation of test sample solutions by extraction from the used patches. TLC of these test samples on silica gel. Quantitative determination of ferulic acid by absorbance measurement at 370 nm. The linearity was between 0.6 and 2.6 μg/zone and the inter-day precision %RSD was 0.5 % (n = 5). Calibration of the measured contents of ferulic acid in the used patches indicated that the skin permeability of ferulic acid was significant and increased proportionally with the duration of application to the body.

Journal of Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry 4 (3), 21-24 (2015). Assessment of the quality of Mustadi Taila, an oil obtained from 8 plants (stems of Acacia chundra, Cedrus deodara, rhizome of Cyperus rotundus, seeds of Embelia ribes, roots of Glycyrrhiza glabra, Rubia cordifolia, Vitex negundo, Vetiveria zizanioides), and prescribed in Chakra Datta as a remedy for dental caries. TLC of the dichloromethane fraction of the aqueous oil extract with methanol – cyclohexane –dichloromethane 3:2:77. Evaluation at UV 254 and 366 nm revealed 10 prominent zones. Detection of alkaloids by spraying with Dragendorff’s reagent. Further properties of the oil (organoleptic as well as physico-chemical parameters, phytochemical screening, microbiological activity and heavy metals limits) were determined without TLC.

Planta Medica 82, 11/12, 1051-1057 (2016). The crude ethanol extract of the aerial parts of the liverwort Chiloscyphus polyanthos, its fractions and seven pungent sesquiterpene lactones isolated therefrom were analyzed against Candida albicans strains (hypersensitive mutant DSY2621, wild-type parent CAF2-1). 20 mL of C. albicans suspension were spread and solidified on the plate charged with samples (20 µg/spot), blank (methanol) or reference (miconazole); without any development, the plate was incubated overnight at 37 °C, sprayed with methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium chloride (MTT 0.25 %) and incubated for 6 h at 37 °C to obtain a purple background. Diplophyllolide A was active on both strains, four other lactones only on DSY2621 (l-diplophyllin, dihydrodiplophyllin, ent-3-oxodiplophyllin, 3β-hydroxyeudesma-4,11-dien-12,8α-olide)._x000D_

Chinese J. Hosp. Pharm. 35 (11), 992-996 (2015). Sisheng Keli granule is a herbal TCM preparation for treating hematemesis, hematuria, allergic purpura and thrombocytopenic purpura, etc. For quality control, TLC on silica gel (1) for Artemisia argyi Levl. et Vant., with petroleum ether (60-90 °C) – toluene – acetone 20:16:1, detection by spraying with 1 % vanillin in sulfuric acid – ethanol 1:4 and heating at 105 °C until the zones are visible; (2) for Platycladus orientalis (L.) Franco, with toluene – ethyl acetate – formic acid 5:2:1, detection by spraying with 1 % aluminium trichloride in ethanol and detection under UV 366 nm; (3) for Lotus leaf, with chloroform – acetone – 10 % ammonia in ethanol 60:20:1, detection by spraying with 5 % potassium bismuthate solution and heating at 105 °C until the zones are visible. Quantification of nuciferin and verbascoside by HPLC.

J. of China Pharm. 23 (5), 29-31 (2014). Xiaoke Maikang Keli granule is a herbal TCM for treatment of diabetes and peripheral neuropathy etc. For quality control, TLC for (1) Achyranthes bidentata, on silica gel with chloroform – methanol 40:1, detection by spraying with 10 % sulfuric acid in ethanol and heating at 105 ºC until the zones are clearly visualized, evaluation under white light; (2) Salvia miltiorrhiza, on silica gel with chloroform – acetone – formic acid 79:11:10, detection under UV 254 nm; (3) for Fructus Lycii, on silica gel with ethyl acetate – chloroform – formic acid 5:4:2, detection under UV 366 nm; (4) for Taxillus sutchuenensis, on silica gel with water-saturated toluene – ethyl formate – formic acid 5:3:1, detection by spraying with 5 % aluminum trichloride in ethanol, evaluation under UV 366 nm; (5) for Corydalis yanhusuo, on silica gel with petroleum ether (60-90 ºC) – ethyl acetate 1:1, detection by exposure to iodine vapors for a few seconds and evaluation under UV 366 nm; (5) for Astragalus membranaceus, on silica gel with chloroform – methanol – water 13:7:2, detection by spraying with 10 % sulfuric acid in ethanol and heating at 105 °C until the zones are visible, evaluation under UV 366 nm.