J. of China Pharm. 26 (4), 368-369 (2012). Nauclea officinalis is a tree growing in tropical regions. In TCM its branch, trunk and bark are used for treatment of acute tonsillitis, acute pharyngitis, conjunctivitis, upper respiratory tract infection, etc. For quality control of its decoction pieces and the three formulations, Danmu injection, Danmu Jingao tablets, and Danmu Jingao syrup, TLC on silica gel with n-hexane – ethyl acetate – methanol 15:8:2, detection under UV 366 nm. As standards the alkaloids naucleficine, mauclefidine, and nauclefline were used.

Chinese J. of Guiyang Med. Coll. 37 (6), 605-607 (2012). Gongyanping capsules are a herbal TCM for treating acute and chronic pelvic inflammatory disease, irregular menstruation, etc. For quality control, TLC on silica gel 1) for Melastoma dodecandrum Lour. and the standard gallic acid, with chloroform – ethyl acetate – formic acid 25:20:4, detection by spraying with 2 % ferric chloride in ethanol and heating mildly, viewing in daylight; 2) for Zanthoxylum nitidum, with n-butanol – glacial acetic acid – water 7:1:2, detection by spraying with 5 % potassium iodobismuthate in water – hydrochloric acid 200:1 and viewing in daylight; 3) for Radix Angelicae Sinensis and the standard ferulic acid, with toluene – chloroform – glacial acetic acid 6:5:1, detection under UV 366 nm; 4) for Ficus simplicissima Lour. and the standard psoralen, with cyclohexane – toluene – ethyl acetate 10:10:3, detection by spraying with 10 % KOH in ethanol and viewing under UV 366 nm.

Chinese J. of Jilin Med. Col l. 33 (1), 8-10 (2012). Citrus limon is a class of traditional Chinese medicinal plants used in various TCM preparations. To guarantee the safety and effectiveness it is significant to identify the authenticity of the crude drugs. TLC of 11 varieties of standard crude drug 1) for alkaloids with the standard synephrine, on 0.5 % NaOH containing silica gel with chloroform – ethanol – ammonia 5:5:1, detection by spraying with 1 % ninhydrin in ethanol and heating at 105 °C, viewing under UV 366 nm; 2) for flavonoids with the standard hesperidin and naringin, on silica gel with ethyl acetate – methanol – water 100:17:13, detection by spraying with 1 % aluminiumchloride in ethanol and viewing under UV 366 nm. The method demonstrated the merits of TLC, such as high throughput, fast analysis, no interferences, specificity, intuitive use and can be a base of establishing the operational standard method for the quality control of the crude drugs.

J. Gansu Coll. of Trad. Chinese Med. 29 (6), 19-22 (2012). Yanyan tablets are a herbal TCM for treating chronic pharyngitis. For quality control, TLC on silica gel 1) for Radix Stemonae, with petroleum ether (60-90 °C) – methanol – ethyl acetate – ethylenediamine 20:20:40:1, detection by spraying with 5 % potassium iodobismuthate in HCl – water 1:200 and viewing in daylight; 2) for Radix Ophiopogonis and flowers of common coltsfoot, with petroleum ether (60-90 °C) – acetone 6:1, detection under UV 254 nm. Quantification of rutin by HPLC.

Chinese J. of Lishizhen Trad. Med. & Pharm. 22 (1), 116-117 (2011). Notopterygium root is the dried root of Notopterygium itwisum Ting ex H. T. Chang and Notopterygium forbesii Boiss and is used to relieve rheumatic pains. Development of a method for qualitative and quantitative determination of nodakenin, one of the key active components in the crude drugs for quality control. TLC of the extracts of the drugs on silica gel with chloroform – methanol 4:1, detection at UV 366 nm. Quantification of nodakenin was done by HPLC.

J. Planar Chromatogr. 26, 132-136 (2013). TLC of rosmarinic (1) and caffeic acids (2) in extracts of Salvia species on silica gel with toluene - ethyl acetate - formic acid 5:4:1. Quantitative determination by absorbance measurement at 325 nm. The hRf values for (1) and (2) were 40 and 60, respectively.

J. Planar Chromatogr. 26, 43-55 (2013). TLC of cefditoren pivoxil on silica gel with 1-butanol - acetic acid - water 17:2:1. Quantitative determination by absorbance measurement at 295 nm. The hRf of cefditoren pivoxil was 70. Linearity was in the range of 600-1600 ng/zone. The LOD and LOQ were 40 and 130 ng/zone, respectively. Recovery (by standard addition) was between 97.8 and 101.8 %. Intermediate/interday/intra-day precision was below 2 % (n=3). The method showed comparable results with a validated HPLC method.

Chinese J. of Ethnomed. & Ethnopharm. 20, 30-32 (2012). Inula nervosa Wall is a herbal TCM drug with anti rheumatism effects. It is frequently used as key component in herbal TCM preparations for the treatment of rheumatism. For quality control, TLC of the volatile oil (obtained by steam distillation of the crude drug) diluted 1:100 with acetone, and the standards thymol and thymyl isobutyrate, on homemade layers (coated using a slurry of silica gel in 1 % NaOH solution), with cyclohexane – toluene 3:4, detection by spraying with 5 % vanillin in sulfuric acid – ethanol 1:200 and heating at 105 °C until the zones are visible in daylight.