J. Planar Chromatogr. 26, 455-456 (2013). HPTLC of oligopeptides on RP-18 (chromatography described in R. Gwarda, A. Tomczyszyn, A. Misicka, T.H. Dzido, Acta Chromatogr., in print, 2015). Detection by spraying or dipping for 2 s with 2 % ninhydrin solution in 1) acetone - glacial acetic acid 25:1 or 2) acetone - methanol - glacial acetic acid 25:25:2, followed by heating at 80 ºC. Results showed that short dipping of the plate in ninhydrin solution resulted in a better detectability of peptides than spraying it with the same solution. Solution 2) with methanol made the ninhydrin reaction faster, and colored all zones in a distinct pink/red color, unfortunately one peptide (no. 1) showed poor color intensity.

Chinese J. of Med. Guide 11 (1), 470-472 (2013). Shenshi Keli granule is a herbal TCM preparation for the treatment of urinary calculus. For quality control TLC on silica gel 1) for Dichondra repens Forst., with chloroform – acetone 19:1, detection by spraying with 10 % sulfuric acid in ethanol and heating at 105 °C for 5 min and viewing under UV 366 nm; 2) for Chicken gizzard’s stomach lining, with n-butanol – glacial acetic acid – water 7:1:1, detection by spraying with 0.3 % ninhydrin in n-butanol and heating at 105 °C until the zones are visible in daylight.

Chinese J. of Northern Pharmacy 10 (3), 5-6 (2013). Fufang Huoxue Tongluojiu liquor is a herbal TCM preparation for easing traumatic injury, soft tissue injury, arthralgia, and muscle soreness. For quality control, TLC on silica gel 1) for Caesalpiniaceae, with chloroform – acetone – formic acid 8:4:1, detection by heating at 105 °C until the zones are visible in daylight; 2) for Rhizoma Corydalis and the standard tetrahydropalmatine, with toluene – acetone 9:2, detection by exposure to iodine vapors for 3 min and viewing under UV 366 nm; 3) for Flos Carthami, with chloroform – ethyl acetate – glacial acetic acid 5:4:1, detection under UV 254 nm; 4) for semi quantification of aconitine, with chloroform – ethyl acetate 1:1, detection by saturation with ammonia vapors and spraying with 5 % potassium iodobismuthate in hydrochloric acid – water 1:200 and viewing in daylight. Semi quantitative analysis by comparison with aconitine.

Chinese J. of Ethnomed. & Ethnopharm. 3, 41-43 (2012). Yufukang Jiaonang capsules are a herbal TCM preparation for the treatment of numbness of the tongue, language disadvantage, choke and cough when eating, aphasia, etc. For quality control, identification of the main component crude drug, the root of Salvia miltiorrhiza and the standard tanshinone llA by TLC on silica gel with toluene – ethyl acetate 19:1, detection in daylight.

J. Planar Chromatogr. 27, 11-18 (2014). HPTLC of fructose (1), glucuronic acid (1), galacturonic acid (3), rhamnose (4), xylose (5), arabinose (6), and galactose (7) in the seeds of Ocimum basilicum on silica gel with isopropyl acetate - ethyl acetate - ethanol - water 50:40:10:1. Detection by dipping into aniline diphenylamine o-phosphoric acid reagent (20 % of o-phosphoric acid [85%] added to 1:1 mixture of 2 % solutions of diphenylamine and aniline in acetone), followed by heating at 110 ºC for 5 min. Quantitative determination by absorbance measurement at 630 nm except for (4) which was determined at 370 nm. The hRF values for (1) to (7) were 80, 58, 51, 40, 25, 18 and 9, respectively.

Chinese J. of Inform. on TCM 20 (3), 67-69 (2013). Zishen Jiaonang capsule is a herbal TCM effective in tonifying the liver and kidney, and is prescribed for premature ovarian failure, acute and chronic hepatitis, mastitis, sterility, etc. For quality control, HPTLC of the extracts of the preparation on silica gel 1) for Paeonia lactiflora Pall. and the standard paeoniflorin, with chloroform – methanol – water 14:6:1, detection by spraying with 5 % vanillin in sulfuric acid – ethanol 1:4 and heating at 105 °C until the zones are visible in daylight; 2) for Ziziphus jujuba Mill. Var. spinosa, with water-saturated n-butanol, detection under UV 366 nm; 3) for Lilium brownii var. viridulum with petroleum ether (60-90 °C) – ethyl acetate – formic acid 15:5:1, detection by spraying with 10 % phosphomolybdic acid hydrate in ethanol and heating mildly until the zones are visible in daylight; 4) for Caulis polygoni multiflori and the standard emodin, with n-hexane – ethyl acetate – formic acid 60:20:1, detection under UV 366 nm. Quantification of paeoniflorin by HPLC.

Chinese J. of Hunan Agr. Sci. & Technol. 14 (12), 1834-1838 (2013). Qishen oral solution is a herbal veterinary TCM which in pharmacological studies increased the thymus index and spleen index and improved the formation of serum hemolysin and phagosytosis of reticuloendothelia cells in immunocompromised mice and rats. For quality control, TLC on silica gel 1) for Astragalus membranaceus and the standard astragaloside A with ethyl acetate – butanone – formic acid – water 5:3:1:1, detection by spraying with 10 % sulfuric acid in ethanol and heating at 105 °C until the zones are visible in daylight and UV 366 nm; 2) for Atractylodes macrocephala Koidz. with cyclohexane - ethyl acetate 7:3, detection by spraying with 5 % p-dimethylaminobenzaldehyde in sulfuric acid – ethanol 1:10 and heating at 105 °C for 5 min, evaluation under UV 366 nm; 3) for Glycyrrhiza uralensis with ethyl acetate – formic acid – acetic acid – water 15:1:1:2, detection by spraying with 10 % sulfuric acid in ethanol and heating at 105 °C until the zones are visible in daylight and under UV 366 nm. HPLC of Codonopsis pilosula and the standard lobetyolin using a reversed phase column with acetonitrile – water 1:3, detection with an fluorescence detector.

Chinese J. of Spectroscopy & Spectral Anal. 34 (4), 990-993 (2014). In recent years, some frauds were discovered on the drug market, e.g. chemical drugs with similar effect were illegally added to herbal TCM for hypertension which may cause a variety of adverse reactions and even endanger life. To ensure the safety of patients a method is presented for rapid screening of antihypertensive drugs. TLC on silica gel with dichloromethane – methanol – water 90:10:1, detection under UV 254 nm. Identification of nicardipine hydrochloride, doxazosin mesylate, propranolol hydrochloride and hydrochlorothiazide by comparison of the corresponding hRf values of standards. Qualitative analysis of the sample target zones by adding a few drops of silver glue solution onto each zone and then detection by surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) using a portable Raman spectrometer at the integration time of 10 s and the laser power of 100 mW with a minimum detection amount of 5, 5, 50 and 50 ng, respectively. The TLC method was optimized regarding mobile phase, sample application volume, the concentration of silver glue solution, etc. The method was used for the analysis of 10 commercial products from the drug market. Two products contained illegally added nicardipine hydrochloride and doxazosin mesylate, and one product contained propranolol hydrochloride and hydrochlorothiazide.