Chinese J. of Med. Guide 9 (11), 136-137 (2012). Honeysuckle, as a traditional Chinese medicinal herbal crude drug, is the dried flower bud of Lonicera japonica Thunb. It is effective in clearing heat and removing toxicity. For quality control, a method for the identification of chlorogenic acid and luteoloside in honeysuckle has been developed and optimized. TLC of the extracts of the crude drug on silica gel with ethyl acetate – acetone – formic acid – water 35:15:5:6, detection by spraying with 5 % aluminium chloride in ethanol, followed by 1) evaluation under UV 366 nm for luteolosid; 2) by spraying again with the upper phase of 1 % ferric chloride – 1 % potassium ferricyanide 1:1 and viewing under daylight for chlorogenic acid.

Shanxi J. of Trad. Chinese Med. 33 (12), 1666-1667 (2012). It is highly debatable whether Radix Aconiti Lateralis Preparata is compatible with Trichosanthes kirilowii Maxim when both needed in processing single formulations. A method is presented to investigate the change of the chemical composition of the extracts obtained by separate and mixed decoction of two kinds of drugs. Preparation of the analytes by decocting, separately, of Radix Aconiti Lateralis Preparata (A), Trichosanthes kirilowii Maxim (B) and combined decoction of the two (C), then extracting, separately, with petroleum ether (30—60 °C) producing extracts A1, B1, C1 and with n-butanol producing extracts A2, B2, C2. TLC on silica gel with the upper phase of n-butanol – ethyl acetate – water 4:1:5, detection 1) under UV 366 nm; 2) by spraying with 10 % sulfuric acid in ethanol and viewing under UV 366 nm. By investigation of 5 batches of the drug sample, significant difference was found between the analytes from single drug decoction and those from mixed drug decoction. The unknown ingredients found in the mixed decoction will be further characterized and analyzed. This study provides an experimental base for exploration of the mechanism of the interaction among the ingredients released from the two drugs.

J. Strait Pharm. 24 (7), 75-76 (2012). Shenghua Heji compound oral liquid is a herbal TCM preparation for treatment of postpartum blood circulation, promote uterine contraction, removing blood stasis. For quality control, TLC 1) for Angelica sinensis, on silica gel with benzene – ethyl acetate – glacial acetic acid 2:1:1, detection under UV 254 nm; 2) for Rhizoma chuanxiong, Semen persicae, Glycyrrhizae and the standard ferulic acid, on silica gel with benzene – glacial acetic acid – methanol 30:2:3, detection under UV 366 nm and after spraying with 1 % ferric chloride – 1 % potassium ferricyanide 1:1 in daylight; 3) for Rhizoma chuanxiong and the standard ferulic acid, on neutral alumina layer with petroleum ether (60-90 °C) – chloroform 1:1, detection by spraying with 5 % potassium iodobismuthate in water – hydrochloric acid 200:1 and viewing in daylight.

J. Liq. Chromatogr. Relat. Technol. 36, 2525-2533 (2013). HPTLC of emodin (1) and chrysophanol (2) in the seeds of Cassia tora L. on silica gel with toluene - ethyl acetate 9:1. Quantitative determination by absorbance measurement at 435 nm. The hRf values for (1) and (2) were 31 and 85, respectively. Linearity was in the range of 10-300 µg/zone for both (1) and (2). LOD and LOQ were 290 and 990 ng/zone for (1) and 240 and 750 ng/zone for (2). Average recoveries (by standard addition) for (1) and (2) were 94 % and 95 %, respectively. Intermediate intra- and inter-day precision was below 0.8 % (n=6).

Chinese J. of Ethnomed. & Ethnopharm. 13, 31-33 (2012). Xian Rong Bushen Jiu liquor is a herbal TCM preparation containing several TCM herbs effective for improving impotence, premature ejaculation, lassitude and hypogonadism, etc. For quality control, TLC on silica gel 1) for Epimedium brevicornu Maxim. and the standard icariin, with the lower phase of chloroform – ethyl acetate – methanol – water 15:40:22:10, detection under UV 366 nm before and after spraying with 1 % aluminium chloride in ethanol; 2) for Panax ginseng C. A. Mey. and the standards ginsenoside Rb1, ginsenoside Re and ginsenoside Rg1, with chloroform – ethyl acetate – methanol – water 10:1:1:1, detection by spraying with 10 % sulfuric acid in ethanol and heating at 105 °C until the zones are visible in daylight.

J. of China Pharm. 22 (13), 25-27 (2013). Yushang Jiegu Dan pill is a herbal TCM for treating various kinds of body damage, local swelling and pain, early fracture, etc. For quality control, HPTLC 1) for Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi and the standard baicalin, on polyamide layer with toluene – ethyl acetate – methanol – formic acid 10:3:1:2, detection under UV 366 nm; 2) for Rheum palmatum L. and the standards physcion and emodin, on silica gel with toluene – ethyl acetate – formic acid 15:2:1, detection under UV 366 nm; 3) for Caesalpinia sappan L., on silica gel with dichloromethane – acetone – formic acid 10:4:1, detection in daylight; 4) for Paeonia veitchii and the standard paeoniflorin, on silica gel with chloroform – ethyl acetate – methanol - formic acid 200:25:50:1, detection by spraying with 5 % vanillin in sulfuric acid – ethanol 1:4 and heating at 105 °C until the zones are visible in daylight; 5) for Boswellia carteri, on silica gel with cyclohexane – ethyl acetate 9:1, detection by spraying with 1 % p-dimethylaminobenzaldehyde in sulfuric acid – ethanol 1:50 and heating at 105 °C until the zones are visible in daylight.

J. Planar Chromatogr. 27, 38-41 (2014). HPTLC of betulinic acid in the green leaves of Achyranthes aspera on silica gel with benzene - ethyl acetate - formic acid 679:227:94. Quantitative determination by absorbance measurement at 210 nm. The hRF value for betulinic acid was 80. The method showed comparable results with a validated HPLC method.

Chinese J. of Forestry Science 49 (10), 127-134 (2013). Flavonoids in bamboo leaves have free radical scavenging, antioxidant, anti-aging, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory effects and are used as a component in TCM for regulating blood fat and preventing cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. Bamboo-leaf flavonoids are also used in cosmetics and as feed additive. In order to choose the best bamboo species for extraction of flavonoids and to set up a quality control method, the flavonoids in eleven samples of bamboo leaves of three genera collected from Yunnan, Fujian, Sichuan, Jiangsu and Jiangxi provinces are studied by HPTLC. HPTLC-AMD of sample extracts and the standards isoorientin, orientin, isovitexin, vitexin and tricin on silica gel, cleaned with methanol and methylene chloride and dried at 105 °C, with methanol – ethyl acetate – methylene – formic acid 4:7:9:2 to 50 mm in the first step, with acetone – methanol - ethyl acetate – methylene chloride – formic acid 1:2:7:10:2 to 75 mm in the second step, and with acetone - methanol - ethyl acetate - methylene chloride – formic acid 2:1:6:11:2 to 90 mm in the third step. Detection under UV 366 nm after spraying with 1 % aluminum trichloride in ethanol. Quantification of the flavonoids by densitometry at UV 366 nm via peak area. The quantitative method for different flavonoids was validated by investigation of the linearity (90-1750 ng/zone), the precision (%RSD=1.0-2.0 %, n=3 intra-day; %RSD=0.9-2.0 %, n=3 inter-day), and the repeatability (%RSD=0.9-1.9 %, n=9). The LODs were 25-40 ng/zone, and the recoveries were 81.3-106.9 % (n=3).