Hebei J. Trad. Chinese Med. 34 (3), 433-434 (2012). Compound Kuhuang lotion is a TCM preparation used clinically for clearing heat and eliminating dampness, eliminating stagnations of blood, and relieving pains. Description of a method for the quality control of the preparation. TLC of the extracts of the preparations on silica gel 1) for Rheum officinale and the standards emodin, rhein, chrysophanol and aloe emodin, with petroleum ether (60-90 ºC) – ethyl acetate – formic acid 15:5:1, detection in daylight; 2) for Radix Sophorae flavescentis and the standard matrine, with ethyl acetate – propanone – benzene – ammonia 30:10:30:1, detection by spraying with a solution of potassium iodobismuthate – water – hydrochloric acid 10:200:1, detection in daylight; 3) for Golden Cypress and the standard berberine, with benzene – ethyl acetate – methanol – isoamyl alcohol – water 20:10:5:5:1, detection at UV 366 nm.

J. of Chinese Med. 27 (166), 343-344 (2012). Baizhuhugan compound oral liquid is effective for enriching the blood, tonifying spleen, soothing the liver, and is clinically prescribed to cure chronic hepatitis and cirrhosis. For quality control, identification of the three contained herbal drugs by TLC of the extracts of the preparation 1) for Chinese Angelica, on silica gel with n-hexane – ethyl acetate 9:1, detection at UV 366 nm; 2) for Bighead Atractylodes rhizome, on silica gel with cyclohexane – ethyl acetate 7:3, detection by spraying with 10 % sulfuric acid in ethanol and heating at 105 °C, viewing in daylight; 3) for Chinese herbaceous Peony, on silica gel with chloroform - ethyl acetate – methanol – ammonia 8:1:4:1, detection by spraying with 5 % vanillin in ethanol – sulfuric acid 4:1 and heating mildly, viewing in daylight.

J. Ethnopharmacol. 138, 286-313 (2011). The review covers literature across from 1980 to 2011. HPTLC studies of Phyllanthus amarus such as fingerprint profiles and detection of phyllanthin and hypophyllanthin as marker components were reviewed. Comparative results with HPLC were also described.

J. of Xinjiang Trad. Chinese Med. 30 (3), 70-72 (2012). Compound Xuelian tablet is a herbal TCM preparation prescribed clinically to cure rheumatism. TLC of the extracts of the medicine on silica gel 1) for Saussurea involucrata, with the upper phase of ethyl acetate – formic acid – water 10:1:2, detection by spraying with 10 % sulfuric acid in ethanol and heating at 105 °C until the zones are visible in daylight; 2) for Rhizoma Corydalis, with cyclohexane – chloroform – methanol 10:6:1, detection by exposure to iodine vapors until the zones are visible, evaluation in daylight and under UV 366 nm; 3) for Radix Angelicae Pubescentis, with petroleum ether (30-60 ºC) – formyl acetate – formic acid 15:5:1, detection under UV 366 nm.

J. of Modern Trad. Chinese Med. 14 (2), 12-14 (2012). Rubus idaeus, the dried immature fruits of Rubus chingii Hu, is a herbal TCM drug specially effective for tonifying the kidney, controlling nocturnal emission, nourishing the liver, and improving eyesight. It is prescribed clinically to cure spermatorrhea, night emission, enuresis, frequent micturition, sexual impotence and premature ejaculation. TLC of the extracts of the crude drug on silica gel with toluene – ethyl acetate – formic acid 9:3:1, detection by spraying with 2 % aluminium chloride in ethanol and viewing under UV 366 nm.

J. Chromatogr. A 1272, 132-135 (2013). Honey is a saturated solution of sugars, used for a long time as a natural source of sugars and is an important ingredient in traditional medicine due to its antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. For quality control and detection of adulteration, TLC of (1) glucose, (2) fructose and (3) sucrose on silica gel aluminum foil twice with ethyl acetate – pyridine – water – acetic acid 12:6:2:1 up to 80 mm. Detection in visible light after dipping in diphenylamine - aniline reagent (2 mg diphenylamine and 2 mg aniline HCl were dissolved in 80 mL acetone, 15 mL phosphoric acid were added and the solution was diluted to 100 mL with acetone) and drying at 110 °C for 15 min. The hRf value of (1) was 46, (2) 52 and (3) 39. Linearity was between 6-16 µg/zone for (1)-(3). Repeatability and intermediate precision (%RSD, n=6) for (1), (2), and (3) was 1.2, 1.3, and 1.1 % and 0.1, 1.3, and 1.1 %, respectively. Recovery (by standard addition) was between 100.7 and 102.1 % for all three substances.

Modern J. of Integrated Trad. Chinese & Western Med. 22 (6), 659-661 (2013). Niuhuang Jiedu Ruanjiaonang capsules are a herbal TCM preparation for treating sore throat, gingival swelling and pain, aphthae, swollen red eyes, etc. For quality control, TLC on silica gel 1) for Artificial Calculus Bovis and the standards cholic acid and hyodesoxycholic acid, with n-hexane – ethyl acetate – acetic acid – methanol 20:25:2:3, detection by spraying with 10 % sulfuric acid in ethanol and heating at 105 °C, viewing under UV 366 nm; 2) for Radix et Rhizoma Rhei, with the upper phase of petroleum ether (30-60 °C) – ethyl formate – formic acid 15:5:1, detection under UV 366 nm; 3) for Radix Scutellariae and the standard baicalin, with ethyl acetate – butanone – formic acid – water 5:3:1:1, detection by spraying with 1 % ferric chloride in ethanol and viewing in daylight; 4) for Borneol, with cyclohexane – ethyl acetate 4:1, detection by spraying with 1 % vanillin in sulfuric acid – ethanol 1:4 and heating at 105 °C, viewing in daylight. Quantification of borneol by GC.

Chinese J. of Med. Guide 2 (9), 109-110 (2012). Coptis chinensis is a herbal TCM drug for relieving internal heat or fever. High speed countercurrent chromatography (HSCCC) is frequently applied to analyse the alkaloids of Coptis chinensis. To optimize the solvent system of HSCCC the method for determination of the partition coefficient of Coptis chinensis alkaloids was done by TLC and fluorescence spectrophotometry. The major alkaloids are coptisine, berberine, palmatine and epiberberine. The crude drug was extracted with ethanol and contained 9.2 % coptisine, 18.5 % berberine, 4.0 % palmatine and 3.5 % epiberberine. TLC on silica gel with cyclohexane – ethyl acetate – isopropanol – methanol – water – triethylamine 6:7:2:3:1 with chamber saturation for 20 min with ammonia vapors, detection at UV 366 nm. The zones were quantitatively scraped off the layer and eluted with ethanol for fluorescence spectrophotometry at UV 366 nm. Quantification by external standard calibration over the linearity range of 0.5-2.5 g/L for coptisine, berberine and epiberberine with standard addition recovery of 98.3 % (%RSD = 1.9 %, n=6), 95.3 % (%RSD = 3.4 %, n=6), 103.9 % (%RSD = 2.6 %, n=6), respectively; and 1.0-3.0 g/L for palmatine with standard addition recovery of 97.6 % (%RSD = 3.7 %, n=6). Calculation of the partition coefficient, i.e. the ratio of observed values of the analytes from the two phases, respectively, with the results for coptisine 2.20, berberine 0.29, palmatine 0.21 and epiberberine 0.61.