Food Chemistry 132, 671-674 (2012). TLC of saponins on silica gel with n-butanol - water - acetic acid 12:2:1. Detection by dipping into a suspension of sheep erythrocytes for 20 s, then plates were taken out and held vertically for 30 s. White spots against a pink background appeared. The plate was immersed in phosphate-buffered saline for 30 s to remove excess blood on the plate surface and again held vertically for 30 min. The method is simple, specific, convenient and time saving for analysis of saponins by TLC for purification, chemoprofiling of plants, and nutraceutical applications.

J. Planar Chromatogr. 24, 130-135 (2011). TLC of Juniperus essential oils (containing terpenoids, monoterpenes, sesquiterpenes and alcohols) with guaiazulene and cineole as standards on silica gel with ethyl acetate - toluene 1:19. Detection by spraying with anisaldehyde reagent followed by heating for 5 min at 100 °C and examination under daylight. The hRf values were 42 and 89 for cineole and guaiazulene, respectively.

Asian Journal of Chemistry 23 (5), 2046-2048 (2011). TLC of alpha- and beta-asarone in Acorus calamus on caffeine modified silica gel (with 10 % caffeine in dichloromethane and dried at 100 °C for 10 min) with toluene - ethyl acetate 93:7. The hRf value of alpha-asarone was 67 and of beta-asarone 77. Quantitative evaluation by absorbance measurement at 313 nm. The linearity was in the range of 50-1000 ng/band for beta-asarone. The alcoholic extracts of samples from different geographical regions were found to contain 0.2-0.8 % of alpha-asarone and 8.7-11.2 % of beta-asarone.

J. Planar Chromatogr. 25, 394-402 (2012). 2D-HPTLC of kaempferol, quercetin, rutin, hyperoside, ferulic acid, gallic acid, caffeic acid, chlorogenic acid, chinic acid, p-coumaric acid, catechin, epicatechin, and resveratrol in the flowers of Eupatorium cannabinum on cyano phase with propan-2-ol mixed with n-heptane, and ethyl acetate mixed with n-heptane as non-aqueous mobile phases in the first direction and after turning the plate 90 ° with methanol mixed with water in the second direction of development. Detection by spraying with diphenylborinic acid 2-aminoethylester and PEG 4000 or DPPH radical reagent. Evaluation under UV 254 nm and 366 nm. The 2D-HPTLC system allowed the separation of the phenolic fractions.

J. Liq. Chromatogr. Relat. Technol. 35, 1141-1145 (2012). HPTLC of diosgenin in various parts of Tribulus terrestris L. on silica gel with toluene - ethyl acetate - methanol 7:3:1. Detection by dipping in anisaldehyde reagent consisting of anisaldehyde - acetic acid - sulfuric acid - methanol 1:20:10:170, followed by heating at 110 °C for 2 min. Quantitative determination by absorbance measurement at 430 nm. The hRf value of diosgenin was 48 and selectivity regarding matrix was given. Linearity was between 50 and 240 ng/zone. The method provides acceptable intra-day and inter-day precision for diosgenin. The limits of detection and quantification were 2 and 7 ng/spot, respectively. Recovery (by standard addition) was 100.6 %. The method provided comparable results with HPLC.

Jiangxi J. of Trad. Chinese Med. 43 (351), 67-68 (2012). Flavonoids are the main active component in dried leaves of Microcos paniculata Linn. This traditional Chinese herbal crude drug lowers the blood pressure and blood fat, prevents from cardiovascular diseases and anti-aging effects. In order to develop a quality control method for Microcos paniculata Linn. the reference substances vitexin, isovitexin and narcissoside were analyzed with 16 samples of Microcos paniculata Linn. available from different places of origin. TLC of the extracts of the drug samples and the reference substances on silica gel with ethyl acetate – methanol – water 100:17:13, detection by spraying with 10 %sulfuric acid in ethanol, followed by heating at 105 °C for 5 min and viewing in UV 366 nm. Densitometric analysis at 366 nm with a mercury lamp in reflection mode, a scanning speed of 20 mm/s and a resolution of 25 µm/step. Identification of the flavonoids in the samples to be tested by fingerprint comparison of both the fluorescence chromatograms and densitograms.

J. Ethnopharmacol. 138, 755-771 (2012). HPTLC studies of Harpagophytum procumbens such as the quantification of harpagoside were reviewed. HPTLC of harpagoside in the roots of Harpagophytum procumbens on silica gel with dichloromethane – methanol – acetic acid 79:20:1. Detection by dipping into anisaldehyde – methanol – acetic acid – sulphuric acid 1:170:20:10, followed by heating at 120 °C for 5 min. Quantitative determination by absorbance measurement at 285 nm. HPTLC provides comparable results with HPLC but is less time consuming.

J. Planar Chromatogr. 25, 283-289 (2012). HPTLC of mesembranol (1), mesembrenol (2), mesembrine (3) and mesembrenone (4) in the aerial parts of Sceletium tortuosum on silica gel with dichloromethane - methanol 9:1 + 1 drop ammonia. Quantitative determination by absorbance measurement at 280 nm. The hRf values for compounds (1) to (4) were 8, 28, 60 and 71, respectively. Linearity was in the range of 180-240 ng/band for (1) to (3) and 60-300 ng/band for (4). Limits of detection and quantification were 25 and 75 ng/band for (1), 31 and 95 ng/band for (2), 27 and 80 ng/band for (3) and 18 and 44 ng/band for (4), respectively. The intermediate/inter-day/intra-day precision was below 1.6 %. Mean recovery for the compounds was between 90.1 and 104.7 %.