J. Planar Chromatogr. 27, 33-37 (2014). HPTLC of alpha-phellandrene (1) and beta-pinene (2) in Anethum graveolens L. on silica gel with ether - dichloromethane 3:7. Detection by spraying with vanillin reagent (15 g vanillin in 250 mL ethanol and 2.5 mL concentrated sulfuric acid), followed by heating at 120 °C. Quantitative determination by absorbance measurement at 600 nm. Linearity was in the range of 40-270 µg/zone for (1) and 100-360 µg/zone for (2). LOD and LOQ were 6.6 and 65.8 µg/zone for (1) and 12.9 and 88.7 µg/zone for (2), respectively. Recoveries were in the range of 95.2-98.8 % for (1) and 97.1-101.4 % for (2). Intermediate/interday/intra-day precision was below 4 % (n=6).

Inner Mongolian J. of Trad. Chinese Med. (23), 40-42 (2013). Weile Jiaonang capsule is herbal TCM for the treatment of gastric ulcer, duodenal ulcer, chronic gastritis, etc. For quality control, TLC on silica gel 1) for Bletilla striata, with petroleum ether (30-60 °C) - ethyl acetate - formic acid 15:5:1, detection under UV 366 nm; 2) for Fritillaria thunbergii Miq., with benzene – acetone 1:1, detection by spraying with a solution of 0.85 g basic bismuth nitrate in 10 mL glacial acetic acid and 40 mL water, evaluation in daylight; 3) for Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch., with petroleum ether (60-90 °C) – toluene – ethyl acetate – glacial acetic acid 20:40:14:1, detection by spraying with 5 % phosphomolybdic acid n-hydrate in ethanol and heating at 105 °C until the zones were visible in daylight. After quality authentication, the herbal TCM preparation was prescribed for 85 cases of patients to survey its efficacy. The results indicated that the preparation has significant effect towards the mentioned diseases, and that the method is suitable for the quality control.

J. Ethnopharmacol. 152, 292-301 (2014). HPTLC of extracts of Curcuma longa, Curcuma aromatica and Curcuma zanthorrhiza on silica gel with 1) toluene - acetic acid 4:1 (for curcuminoid determination), 2) acetonitrile - acetone - water 2:2:1 (sugars), and 3) dichloromethane (essential oils). Detection by dipping in anisaldehyde reagent (curcuminoid and essential oil systems) and aniline-diphenylamine-phosphoric acid (sugars) followed by heating at 100 °C, evaluation under white light and UV at 366 nm. Bis-demethoxycurcumin (hRF 18) was only present in Curcuma longa. The HPTLC results were compared with 1H-NMR spectroscopic analyses. The NMR analyses provided a sharper picture than HPTLC but only the combination of both methods enabled the authors of the study to understand both the general variability and the specific differences between the analyzed products.

J. Planar Chromatogr. 27, 346-356 (2014). HPTLC fingerprint of the leaves of Arctium lappa and Fagus sylvatica, herba of Epilobium hirsutum, Lythrum salicaria, and Artemisia dracunculoides; and fruits of Cydonia oblonga and leaves of Hippophae rhamnoides and Aronia melanocarpa on silica gel with ethyl acetate – acetic acid – formic acid – water 50:6:6:13 for flavonoid glycosides and chloroform – acetic acid – methanol – water 16:8:3:2 for saponins. Detection by immersion into natural product reagent followed by PEG 400 reagent. Qualitative identification at UV 366 nm.

Journal of Ethnopharmacology 163, 192-202 (2015). TLC of the aqueous extract (crude vs. after tannin removal on a polyamide column) of the kino (red hydrosoluble exudate) of Pterocarpus erinaceus on silica gel with s-butanol – water – acetic acid 14:5:5. Detection with vanillin-hydrochloric acid reagent revealed catechic tannins and related polyphenols as dark pink zones. These compounds showed hRfs between 0 and 40, and above 60 in the case of the crude extract, whereas they almost did not appear in the tannin-free fraction. The extracts were also submitted to HPLC-HRMS, allowing the identification of epicatechin monomer in both extracts and of oligomers in the crude extract only.

Chinese J. of Ethnomed. & Ethnopharm. (23), 14-16 (2013). Jiawei Pikang Keli granule is a herbal TCM for the treatment of Pityriasis rosea and eczema. For quality control, TLC on silica gel (1) for Morus alba L., with petroleum ether (60-90 °C) – ethyl acetate 3:2, detection under UV 366 nm; (2) for Cortex Dictamni, with cyclohexane – acetone – ammonia 20:20:1, detection by spraying with 10 % sulfuric acid in ethanol and heating at 105 °C until the zones are clearly visible in daylight; (3) for Angelica sinensis (Oliv.) Diels, with cyclohexane – dichloromethane – ethyl acetate – formic acid 40:10:10:1, detection under UV 366 nm.

Chinese J. of Inform. on TCM 20 (10), 46-48 (2013). Buxin Ruanmai granule is a herbal TCM for coronary heart disease and angina pectoris. For quality control, TLC (1) for Ophiopogon japonicus, on silica gel with n-hexane – ethyl acetate – formic acid 10:10:4, detection by spraying with 10 % sulfuric acid in ethanol and heating at 105 °C until the zones are visible, evaluation under UV 366 nm; (2) for common Macrocarpium fruit, on silica gel with ethyl acetate – ethanol – glacial acetic acid 50:10:1, detection by spraying with 5 % vanillin-sulfuric acid in ethanol 1:4 and heating at 105 °C until the zones are visible; (3) for Whitmania pigra Whitman, on silica gel with cyclohexane – ethyl acetate 4:1, detection by spraying with 10 % sulfuric acid in ethanol and heating at 105 °C until the zones are visible, evaluation under UV 366 nm; (4) for Ginkgo biloba, on polyamide layer with 40 % acetic acid, detection by spraying with 3 % aluminium trichloride in ethanol, drying in a warm stream of air, evaluation under UV 366 nm; (5) for Polygonum cuspidatum Sieb. et Zucc., on silica gel with petroleum ether (60-90 °C) – ethyl formate – formic acid 15:5:1, detection under UV 366 nm. Quantitative determination of salidroside and loganin by HPLC.

J. Ethnopharmacol. 185, 171-181 (2016). TLC bioautographic analysis of stem bark extracts of Erythrina stricta, the layer was loaded with 100 mg of each extract and air-dried before being developed with varying mixtures of n-hexane – ethyl acetate 9:1 to 1:9. The plates were air-dried for at least 24 h and then covered with agar medium containing the microorganisms (A600: 0.08), i. e. methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA, ATCC29213), methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA, ATCCBAA1026), a multi-drug resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MDRSA, clinicalisolate), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (ATCC-27853) and Escherichia coli (ATCC25922), and the fungal strain Candida albicans. The plate was incubated at 37 °C for 18 h. After incubation, the plate was sprayed with a methanolic solution (5 mg/mL) of MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)–2,5-diphenyltetrazoliumbromide) before incubation for 30 min at 37 ºC.