J. of China Pharm. 21 (12), 15-16 (2012). The leaf of Microcos paniculata L. is a popular medicinal herbal drug used for cardiovascular protection, blood fat adjusting, and anti-aging. Presentation of methods for identifying the drug by TLC and FTIR. TLC of the extracts of the drug on silica gel 1) for kaempferide, with toluene – ethyl acetate – formic acid 9:3:1, detection by spraying with 3 % aluminiumchloride in ethanol followed by heating at 105 ºC for 5 min and viewing at UV 366 nm; 2) for vitexin and isovitexin, developed with ethyl acetate – methanol – water 100:17:13, detection by spraying with 3 % aluminiumchloride in ethanol followed by heating at 105 ºC for 5 min and viewing at UV 366 nm. The methods have been applied to 15 batches of real life sample available from different places of origin, and proved that TLC procedures as well as FTIR are simple, sensitive, reproducible and robust and suitable for the identification of the herbal drug.

J. of World Trad. Chinese Med. 7 (1), 77-78 (2012). Yiqi Shenggu granule is a newly developed herbal TCM preparation for treating wounded catagma. TLC of the extracts of the preparation on silica gel 1) for Aucklandia root, with petroleum ether (60-90 ºC) – ethyl acetate 9:1, detection by spraying with 5 % vanillin in ethanol – sulfuric acid 200:1 and mild heating, viewing in daylight; 2) for Carthamus flower, twice with chloroform – toluene – methanol 15:5:1, detection by spraying with 10 % sulfuric acid in ethanol and viewing at UV 366 nm; 3) for red Peony root, with chloroform – ethyl acetate – methanol – formic acid 200:25:50:1, detection by spraying with 5 % vanillin in ethanol – sulfuric acid 200:1 and mild heating, viewing in daylight. Determination of astragaloside A in the extract of the medicine by TLC on silica gel with chloroform – methanol – water 13:7:2, detection by spraying with 10 % sulfuric acid in ethanol and viewing at UV 366 nm. Quantification by densitometry at 520 nm with a linearity range of the calibration curve of 1.13-6.75 µg/zone (r = 0.995, n = 6), a precision of %RSD = 2.0 (n = 6) within plate and plate-to-plate, and standard addition recovery of 99.4 % (%RSD = 2.3, n = 6).

J. Planar Chromatogr. 25, 355-357 (2012). HPTLC of lead (II), nickel (II), and cobalt (II) on silica gel with 0.2 M aqueous sodium dodecyl sulphate - 0.08 M oxalic acid 1:9. Lead(II) was detected by spraying with 0.5 % dithizone in carbon tetrachloride, where as nickel (II) and cobalt (II) were detected by spraying with 1.0 % solution of alcoholic (ethanol) dimethyglyoxime. The hRf values of lead (II), nickel (II), and cobalt (II) were 1, 85 and 49, respectively.

J. Planar Chromatogr. 25, 101-107 (2012). HPTLC of mixtures of the pesticides glyphosate, acephate, chlorpyrifos, malathion/methyl parathion, and isoproturon on silica gel impregnated with 0.01 % CTAB (Ncetyl-N,N,N-trimethyl ammonium bromide) and developed with hexane - acetone 1:1. LOD of the pesticides was aproximately 20 µg/band. The method can also be applied for fast determination of pesticides in cereals, vegetables and fruit grains.

J. Planar Chromatogr. 26, 62-66 (2013). HPTLC of propranolol hydrochloride (1) and flunarizine dihydrochloride (2) on silica gel with methanol - chloroform - toluene 6:14:14+1 drop glacial acetic acid. Quantitative determination by absorbance measurement at 260 nm. The hRf values of (1) and (2) were 35 and 64, respectively. Linearity was in the range of 3000-15000 ng/zone and 750-3700 ng/zone for (1) and (2), respectively. Intermediate precision was below 2 %.

f.) Wall. ex Nees. (Chinese). Chinese J. of Lishizhen Trad. Med. & Pharm. 22 (6), 1411-1412 (2012). The extracts of Andrographis paniculata, a traditional Chinese medicinal herb, have been widely used as the core ingredient in a variety of traditional Chinese patent medicines, such as Chuanxinlian pills, Chuanxinlian capsules, Lianzhi pills, and some cosmetics and veterinary drugs. The quality of the extracts became significant for guaranteeing the validity, security, stability and homogeneity of the medicines. TLC of the herb extracts on silica gel with chloroform – ethyl acetate – methanol 20:15:2. Detection under UV 254 nm and by spraying with 2 % 3,5-dinitrobenzoic acid in ethanol – 2 mol/L KOH solution 1:1 followed by evaluation in daylight.

J. of Practical Pharmacy & Clinic 15 (11), 742-744 (2012). Xiaochaihutang dripping pills are a herbal TCM for the treatment of chronic hepatitis and liver cirrhosis. For quality control, TLC on silica gel 1) for Bupleurum chinense, with ethyl acetate – ethanol – water 8:2:1, detection by spraying with 2 % p-dimethylaminobenzaldehyde in sulfuric acid – ethanol 2:3 and heating at 105 °C, viewing under UV 366 nm; 2) for Radix Scutellariae, with ethyl acetate – formic acid – water 14:5:5, detection by spraying with 2 % ferric chloride in ethanol, viewing in daylight. Quantification of baicalin by HPLC.

Brazilian Journal of Pharmacognosy. 23, 207-216 (2013). HPTLC fingerprint of four similar looking Adiantum species: A. capillus-veneris L. (1), A. lunulatum Burm. f. (2), A. peruvianum Klotzsch (3), and A. venustum D. Don. (4) on silica gel with toluene - ethylacetate 4:1. (1) could be clearly differentiated from other species by the presence of characteristic blue colored bands at hRf 57 under UV 366 nm. (2) and (3) shared additional bands at hRf 22 and 27 under UV 366 nm and at hRf 74 under UV 254 nm. A characteristic band at hRf 41 was observed only in (3) under UV 366 nm.