J. AOAC Int. 97, 1274-1281 (2014). TLC fingerprint for the optimization of accelerated solvent extraction conditions for the isolation of total polyphenolic compounds from common thyme (Thymus vulgaris), on silica gel with ethyl acetate – formic acid – acetic acid – water 100:11:11:13. Detection by spraying with 10 % methanol solution of sulfuric acid, followed by heating at 110 °C for 20 min. Quantitative determination by absorbance measurement between 320 and 700 nm.

Shanxi J. Trad. Chinese Med. 9, 43-46 (2013). Danggui Buxue Wan pill is TCM compound for the treatment of psoriasis (blood dryness type), chronic eczema, neurodermatitis, skin pruritus and other skin diseases. For the quality control, TLC on silica gel (1) for Angelica sinensis with cyclohexane – dichloromethane – ethyl acetate – formic acid 4:1:1:0.1, detection at UV 366 nm; (2) for Fallopia multiflora (Thunb.) Harald. with the upper phase of toluene – ethyl acetate – formic acid 20:2:1, detection at UV 366 nm; (3) for Paeonia lactiflora Pall. with chloroform – ethyl acetate – methanol - formic acid 45:5:10:0.2, detection by spraying with 5% vanillin in sulfuric acid – ethanol 1:4 and heating at 105 °C until the spots were visible. All were identified by fingerprint comparison with the standard (paeoniflorin or ferulic acid) and/or the standard ingredient drug.

J. Chinese Modern Med. & Pharm. 20 (31), 54-56 (2013). Paracetamol and chlorphenamine maleate granule are an anti cold medicine effective for cold induced nasal congestion, headache, sore throat, fever, etc. Artificial bezoar is one of the main ingredients and bilirubin is the key effective component in the medicine. For quality control, TLC of the extracts and bilirubin on silica gel with isooctane – ethyl acetate – glacial acetic acid 11:5:3, detection under white light. Quantitative determination of bilirubin by UV spectrophotometry. Demonstration by applying to real life samples from three pharmaceutical factories indicated that the method was suited for the quality control of the medicine.

Microbiol. Res. 169, 794-802 (2014). Preparative TLC of a biosurfactant-like compound secreted by Pseudomonas synxantha on silica gel with dichloromethane - methanol 9:1. Detection by iodine vapor. The band with the highest hRF value showed antibacterial activity against M. smegmatis (previously confirmed by spot assay) .

J. Planar Chromatogr. 28, 162-166 (2015). HPTLC of (1) sucrose, (2) glucose, (3) fructose, (4) arabinose, (5) cellobiose, (6) maltose, (7) mannose, (8) melezitose, (9) melibiose, (10) raffinose, (11) rhamnose, (12) stachyose, (13) trehalose and (14) xylose on silica gel with n-butanol - i-propanol - boric acid solution - formic acid 50:130:55:1 to a migration distance of 60 mm. Detection under white light after immersion into aniline diphenylamine o-phosphoric acid reagent and heating at 110 °C for 10 min. Qualitative detections were performed under white light and by absorption measurement at 380 nm. A total of 131 samples were analyzed with regard to their individual sugar composition and classified according to their sugar ratios.

J. Ethnopharmacol. 174, 178-186 (2015). HPTLC of magnolol (1) and honokiol (2) in the cortex of Magnolia officinalis and aristolochic acid I (3) and II (4) in the radix of Aristolochia baetica on silica gel with methanol - ethyl acetate - toluene 1:2:30 for (1) and formic acid - water - ethyl acetate - toluene 1:1:10:20 for (2). Detection of (1) and (2) by spraying with vanillin reagent, followed by heating at 110 °C for 5 min. Detection of (3) and (4) by spraying with stannous chloride 100 g/L in diluted hydrochloric acid, followed by heating at 100 °C for 1 min. Identification under UV light at 365 nm for (3) and (4). The hRF values for (1) to (4) were 40, 50, 46 and 54, respectively.

J. Liq. Chromatogr. Relat. Technol. 38, 1794-1801 (2015). 2D-TLC of eleven essential oils from nine Mentha species on silica gel with ethyl acetate - toluene 5:19 in the first direction and ethyl acetate - n-heptane 3:17 in the second direction. Detection by dipping into p-anisaldehyde reagent (0.5 mL p-anisaldehyde solution in 50 mL glacial acetic acid and 1 mL concentrated sulfuric acid) followed by heating at 105 °C for 10 min. Evaluation under 254 nm. The developed plates were immersed in a 0.2 % methanolic solution of 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH radical reagent) and scanned after 30 min.

Chinese J. Pharm. Anal. (3), 547-553 (2014). Rhizoma Cimicifugae is a medicinal herb and one of the main ingredients of TCM preparations for the treatment of measles, sore mouth and throat, rashes, chronic diarrhea etc. For quality control, TLC of the extracts of the drug sample on silica gel with the lower phase of chloroform – methanol – water below 10 °C, detection under UV 366 nm revealed 9 pale blue zones. Detection by spraying with a freshly prepared solution of vanillin – sulfuric acid – acetic acid 1:10:1000 followed by heating at 105 ˚C until the zones are visible under UV 366 nm, this detection mode revealed 16 zones of different color. The resulting images were converted to digital profiles to carry out similarity and two-dimensional clustering analysis. The main components were identified using QTofMS with cimifugin, prim-O-glucosylcimifugin, 27-deoxyactein, and ferulic acid as references. Based on the fingerprints the genuine drugs were easily differentiated from adulterant drugs.