J. of Chromatogr. A 1533, 180-192 (2018). HPTLC-UV/Vis/FLD-(bio)assay-HRMS of polar (phenolics) and nonpolar (tanshinones) extracts of Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge root (Danshen), followed by streamlined scale-up to preparative layer chromatography with 1H-NMR. For phenolics, HPTLC on silica gel first with toluene - chloroform - ethyl acetate - methanol - formic acid 4:6:8:1:1 and second development with petroleum ether - cyclohexane - ethyl acetate 25:14:11. Confirmation of the acetylcholinesterase inhibitors salvianolic acid B (1), lithiospermic acid (2), rosmarinic acid (3), cryptotanshinone (4) and 15,16-dihydrotanshinone I (5). In the polar extracts, compounds (1), (2) and (3) exhibited free radical scavenging activity in the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl assay (DPPH* radical reagent), (4) and (5) were active against Bacillus subtilis and Aliivibrio fischeri (LOD of 12 ng/zone for (4), and 5 ng/zone for (5). For the first time, the unidentified, most active zone of the nonpolar Danshen extract was identified as a co-eluting zone of 1,2-dihydrotanshinone and methylenetanshinquinone 2:1.

Phytochem. Anal. 30, 405-414 (2019). HPTLC fingerprint of 70 standard medicinal plants on silica gel with ethyl acetate – ethyl methyl ketone – formic acid 98% – water 5:3:1:1. Derivatization with anisaldehyde, Liebermann–Burchard, 3 % iron(III) chloride (FeCl₃) and phosphomolybdic acid reagent. Detection before and after derivatization under visible light and UV light (254 and 366 nm). A similarity search algorithm based on color (RGB, HSV and Lab) information alone or together with hRF values was built  to assess the fingerprinting of medicinal plants. The method showed better results than principal components analysis (PCA), classification and regression trees (CART) and partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS‐DA).

Phytochem. Anal. 30, 332-345 (2019). TLC fingerprint of Musa paradisiaca fruits on silica gel with hexane - acetone 7:2. Detection by dipping into 5 % anisaldehyde sulfuric acid solution in methanol. Densitometric absorption measurement at 540 nm. To determine antioxidant activity, the plate was dipped into 0.05 mM DPPH* radical reagent solution in methanol and kept at room temperature in dark conditions for 30 min. Further analysis of zones by gas chromatography‐mass spectrometry.

J. Chinese Trad. Patent Med. 40 (11), 2450-2454 (2018). Dabaidu Jiaonang capsules are used for clearing blood poison and relieving swelling and pain. For quality control, TLC of its extracts, the respective reference drug and selected standards on silica gel (1) for Rheum palmatum L., with petroleum ether (30-60 ˚C) – ethyl formate – formic acid 15:5:1, detection under UV 365 nm; (2) for Cortex phellodendri (and berberine hydrochloride), with n-butanol – glacial acidic acid – water 7:1:2, detection under UV 365 nm; (3) for Radix paeoniae rubra (and paeoniflorin), with chloroform – ethyl acetate – methanol – formic acid 40:5:10:0.2, detection by spraying with 5% vanilline in H2SO4 – ethanol 1:4 and heating at 85 ˚C until the zones are visible in daylight; (4) for Angelica dahurica (Fisch. ex Hoffm.) Benth. et Hook. f. ex Franch. et Sav (and iso-/imperatorin), with petroleum ether (30-60 ˚C) – diethyl ether 3:2, detection under UV 365 nm; (5) for Pericarpium citri reticulatae (and hesperidin), first with ethyl acetate – methanol – water 100:17:13 up to 30 mm, then with the upper phase of toluene – ethyl acetate – formic acid – water 20:10:1:1 up to 80 mm, detection by spraying with 5% AlCl3 in ethanol and viewing under UV 365 nm; (6) for Boswellia carteri, with cyclohexane – ethyl acetate 11:2, detection by spraying with 5% vanilline in H2SO4 – ethanol 1:4 and heating at 85 ˚C until the zones are visible in daylight. Quantification of aloe emodin, rhein, emodin, chrysophanol, physcion by HPLC.

Planta Med. 83(17), 1321-1328 (2017). Benzoyl-aconine esters (lipo-alkaloids) produced by transesterification of aconitine (isolated from Aconitum sp.) with long-chain fatty acids were purified by a multistep chromatographic method, including cyclodextrane gel filtration chromatography, centrifugal planar chromatography on aluminium oxide layer using cyclohexane – chloroform – methanol 70:30:1 followed by 70:30:3 and/or preparative thin-layer chromatography on aluminium oxide layer with toluene – acetone – ethanol – concentrated ammonia 70:40:10:3.

Planta Med. 83(16), 1289-1296 (2017). A cycloartene-diol, a dihydroxycicloartenone and an isopimaradiene-diol were isolated from subfractions of an ethanolic extract of Guarea macrophylla (Meliaceae) leaves through elution on preparative TLC silica gel layers with chloroform – acetone 19:1, or with n-hexane – ethyl acetate 9:1 or 1:1, respectively.

Planta Med. 83(14/15), 1233-1241 (2017). HPTLC of standards and methanolic extracts of L. cardiaca, L. japonicus and L. sibiricus (Lamiaceae) acidified with formic acid on silica gel with ethyl acetate – acetic acid – formic acid – water 100:11:11:26, in an automatic development chamber with 48 % humidity (20 min presaturation). Detection under white and UV light, before and after immersion in 1) anisaldehyde – sulphuric acid (followed by heating) for the detection of iridoids; 2) natural product reagent A for phenylpropanoids; 3) modified Dragendorff reagent (bismuth oxynitrate 0.17 %, sulfuric acid 3.5 %, glacial acetic acid 2 %, potassium iodide 4 %) for alkaloids. Ajugoside (hR_F 29) and verbascoside (hR_F 53) were found in L. cardiaca and L. sibiricus, but absent in L. japonicus. The opposite was true for leonurine (hR_F 52), whereas stachydrine (hR_F 14) was found in the three species. This method allows to distinguish L. japonicus from the other species, which have to be distinguished from each other through morphology.

J. Trad. Chinese Veterinary Med. 5, 53-55 (2010). TLC of stachydrine on silica gel with acetone - ethanol - hydrochloric acid 10:6:1. Detection by spraying with bismuth potassium iodide - 1 % iron(III)chloride in ethanol 5:1 and heating at 100 ºC. Identification by comparison of the hRf value and zone color with the standard. Quantification of stachydrine by densitometry at 510 nm. Precision (%RSD within plate, n = 8) was 3.7 %. Stability of measurement (%RSD within 120 min, n = 5) was 4.5 %. Linearity was in the range of 3.2-38.3 µg/zone (r=0.997, n = 6). The recovery (by standard addition) was 96.6 % with a %RSD of 2.0 % (n = 6).