Chem. J. of Chinese Univ. 35 (4), 741-745 (2014). TLC is a rapid, simple, efficient, economic and widely used method with great advantages but some limitations in the detection of unknown groups. IR is a universal detection technique with advantages in the detection of colorless, non fluorescent substances. For successful application of TLC/FTIR the selection of the proper stationary phase is important. In this study sulfur fine particles were successfully employed as the coating for narrow band plates. Sulfur fine particles with the average size of 500 nm were produced by reaction of sodium thiosulfate with hydrochloric acid and characterized by XRS. Narrow band plates were coated by precipitation/evaporation technique. TLC of the mixture of rhodamine B and gentian violet on narrow band plates with tetrahydrofuran – methanol – ammonia 16:2:1 with chamber saturation for 10 min. TLC of the mixture of rhodamine B and bromophenol blue on narrow band plates with ethyl acetate – methanol – ammonia 16:1:3 with chamber saturation for 10 min. Both systems achieve complete separation. In situ detection of the separated zones by microscopic reflection infrared spectroscopy. The resulting spectra of the separated zones of rhodamine B, gentian violet and bromophenol blue matched those of the corresponding standards. There were no interfering absorption peaks except for the absorption peak of CO in the mid infrared region. The layer had a considerable ability for separation of mixed samples, therefore, the new type of stationary phase can meet the requirements for analyzing some mixtures by TLC/FTIR hyphenated technique.

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. of China Pharm. 27 (7), 722-724 (2013). Xihuang Wan pill is a herbal TCM prescribed for treatment and adjuvant therapy of various cancers. Huoxue Zhitong San powder is a herbal TCM prescribed for traumatic injury and ecchymoma. In the drug market fraud rosin was found to be added to the key ingredient olibanum. For quality control, HPTLC of the sample extracts and the standards acetyl-11-keto-beta-boswellic acid (AKBA), 11-keto-beta-boswellic acid (KBA), beta-boswellic acid (beta-BA), acetyl-beta-boswellic acid (beta-ABA), and abietic acid (LOD=1.0 µg), on silica gel with toluene – ethyl acetate – heptane – formic acid 80:20:10:3 with chamber saturation for 20 min, detection 1) under UV 254 nm and UV 366 nm; 2) by spraying with a fresh solution of anisaldehyde – sulfuric acid – acetic acid 1:10:1000 and heating at 105 °C until the zones were visible in daylight. Verification of abietic acid from added rosin by HPLC. The method was used for the analysis of 63 batches of Xihuang Wan pills sampled from 13 pharmaceutical factories and 10 batches of Huoxue Zhitong San powder from 4 factories.

by high-performance thin-layer chromatography) (Chinese). J. Chinese Trad. Patent Med. 35 (12), 2752-2754 (2013). Chimonanthus nitens Oliv. is a plant of the Calycanthaceae family growing in Jiangxi and Anhui areas of China. Pharmacological studies showed that the chemical constituents of the extracts of its dry leaves are volatile oils, alkaloids, flavonoids, coumarins, etc. The dry leaves are used clinically as the main ingredient drug in TCM prescriptions for the treatment of infantile cough, respiratory tract infection, hand foot and mouth disease and chronic pelvic inflammatory disease, etc. For quality control, HPTLC of the sample extracts and the standards cineole, linalool and beta-caryophyllene on silica gel firstly with chloroform – methanol 9:1 to 5 cm and then with petroleum ether (30-60 °C) – ethyl acetate 10:1 to 10 cm, detection by spraying with 1 % vanillin in sulfuric acid – ethanol 1:4 and heating at 110 °C. Quantitative determination by densitometric evaluation at 606 nm for cineole and linalool and 545 nm for beta-caryophyllene using external standard calibration method. The content of the total unknown components is also given taking linalool as the calibration standard. Validation of the method by investigation of its linearity range (for cineole 0.7-11.4 µg/zone, r=0.990, n=7; for beta-caryophyllene 0.7-10.9 µg/zone, r=0.992, n=7; for linalool 1.8-18.0 µg/zone, r=0.990, n=7), precision (%RSD (n=6) 3.9 %, 1.5 % and 0.6 % for cineole, beta-caryophyllene and linalool, respectively), stability (within 30 min, %RSD (n=6) 2.0 %, 3.0 % and 3.3 % for cineole, beta-caryophyllene and linalool, respectively) and reproducibility (%RSD (n=6) 2.7 %, 4.4 % and 3.2 % for cineole, beta-caryophyllene and linalool, respectively). The recovery for cineole was 82.3-93.4 % (%RSD (n=3) 2.6-4.1 %), for beta-caryophyllene 86.1-96.7 % (%RSD (n=3) 2.2-3.6 %) and for linalool 95.8-109.8 % (%RSD (n=3) 1.9-2.9 %). Some unknown separated components need to be identified in a further study.

Rev. Bras. Farma. 24, 330-340 (2014). TLC of hesperidin in the fresh fruits of Citrus sinensis on silica gel with n-butanol - acetic acid - water 4:1:5. Detection by spraying with methanol sulphuric acid (10 %), followed by heating at 110 ºC. Qualitative identification at UV 284 nm. The hRF of hesperidin was 61.

J. Jiangxi Univ. Trad. Chinese Med. 26 (2), 55-58 (2014). Xiangshao Shugan Koufuye oral liquid is a TCM preparation for the treatment of chronic gastritis, gastric ulcer, cholecystitis, etc. For quality control, TLC on silica gel (1) for Cyperus rotundus with cyclohexane – ethyl acetate – isopropanol – formic acid 70:30:1:1, detection by spraying with 10 % sulfuric acid in ethanol and heating at 105 °C for 3 min and evaluation at UV 366 nm; (2) for Paeonia lactiflora Pall. and paeoniflorin 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 until the zones are visible; (3) for Radix Bupleuri with butanol – ethyl acetate – 10 % ammonia 4:1:5, detection by spraying with 10 % sulfuric acid in ethanol and heating at 105 °C until the zones are visible and at UV 366 nm. Quantitation of paeoniflorin by HPLC.

Strait Pharm. J. 1, 53-55 (2014). Tiaojing Huoxue Jiaonang capsule is a TCM compound used clinically for the treatment of irregular menstruation, menstrual pain and other gynecological diseases. TLC on silica gel (1) for Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge and protocatechuic aldehyde with dichloromethane – acetone – formic acid 60:5:2, detection by spraying with 5 % ferrum trichloride in ethanol and viewing under white light; (2) for Rehmannia glutinosa (Gaert.) Libosch. ex Fisch. et Mey. with petroleum ether (60-90 ˚C) – ethyl acetate 1:1, detection under white light after spraying with 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine – ethanol – hydrochloric acid 1:100:10. Quantitative determination of paeoniflorin by HPLC. Applying to real life samples indicated that the method was simple, specific, accurate, reproducible, robust and able to be the better alternative for the purpose to that specified in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia 2010.

J. Planar Chromatogr. 27, 367-371 (2014). TLC of (±)-bupropion on silica gel impregnated with 2 mM Cu(II) and 4 mM L-amino acid 1:2, with acetonitrile - methanol - chloroform 2:1:2. Detection by exposure to iodine vapors. The Cu(II) acetate–amino acid complex allowed efficient enantiomer separations. Four different approaches for impregnating/loading the ligand exchange reagent were evaluated. However, using a solution of Cu(II) acetate as mobile phase additive for the TLC plates impregnated with one of the L-amino acids allowed the best enantiomer separation.