Chinese J. of Inform. on TCM 20 (1), 54-56 (2013). Zhiqiao Jianwei Keli granule is a herbal TCM for treatment of stagnated heat of liver and stomach, stomach pain and stomach cramps etc. For quality control, TLC on silica gel 1) for Fructus aurantii, with the lower phase of chloroform – methanol – water 13:6:2, detection by spraying with 3 % aluminum trichloride in ethanol and heating at 105 °C for 5 min and evaluation under UV 366 nm; 2) for Corydalis yanhusuo W. T. Wang ex Z. Y. Su et C. Y. Wu, with toluene – acetone 9:2, detection by exposure to iodine vapors for 3 min and evaluation under UV 366 nm; 3) for Forsythia suspensa (Thunb.) Vahl, with chloroform – methanol – glacial acetic acid 17:2:1, detection by spraying with 5 % vanillin in sulfuric acid – ethanol 1:4 and heating at 105 °C until the zones are visible in daylight. For determination of tetrahydropalmatine, TLC on silica gel with toluene – acetone 9:2 with chamber saturation for 30 min, detection by exposure to iodine vapors for 3 min. Evaluation under UV 366 nm and quantification by densitometric measurement at 343 nm using external standard calibration. Validation by investigating the linearity range of the calibration curve (55-330 ng/zone, r=0.996, n=6), the stability within 6 hours (%RSD 1.9 %, n=7), the precision (%RSD 1.3 %, n=6), and the repeatability (%RSD 0.8 %, n=6). Recovery was 98.0 % (%RSD 1.9 %, n=5).

J. Ethnopharmacol. 156, 309-315 (2014). HPTLC of (1) phyllanthin and (2) ellagic acid in the whole plant of Phyllanthus rheedei on silica gel with toluene - ethyl acetate - formic acid 6:2:1, detection at UV 366 nm. The hRF values of (1) and (2) were 47 and 27, respectively. Fractions rich in phyllanthin and ellagic acid showed anti-HBV and hepatoprotective activity.

J. Planar Chromatogr. 27, 438-443 (2014). HPTLC of (1) alpha-amyrin, (2) lupeol, and (3) beta-sitosterol in the leaves of Kalanchoe pinnata, Bombax ceiba, and Morus alba on silica gel with toluene – ethyl acetate 19:1. Detection by dipping into anisaldehyde–sulphuric acid reagent for 1 min, followed by heating at 100 °C for 5 min. Quantitative determination by absorbance measurement at 525 nm. The hRF values of (1) to (3) were 71, 28 and 16 respectively. Linearities were in the range of 160-560 ng/zone for (1), 150-900 ng/zone for (2) and 80-480 ng/zone for (3). The intermediate precision was below 2 % (n=3) for (1) to (3). The LOD and LOQ were 60 and 160 ng/zone for (1), 50 and 150 ng/zone for (2) and 20 and 48 ng/zone for (3), respectively. Average recoveries for (1) to (3) were 100.7, 99.8 and 100.1 %, respectively.

J. China Pharm. Univ. 22 (23), 33-35 (2013). Xiangshao Granules are a TCM preparation for the treatment of women’s breast distending pains. For quality control, TLC on silica gel (1) for Cyperus rotundus, with petroleum ether (60-90 °C) – ethyl acetate 15:1, detection at UV 254 nm; (2) for Atractylodes macrocephala Koidz. and atractylone with petroleum ether (60-90 °C) – ethyl acetate 50:1, detection by spraying with 5 % vanillin in sulfuric acid – ethanol 1:4, followed by heating until zones are visible; (3) for Angelica dahurica (Fisch. ex Hoffm.) Benth. et Hook. f. ex Franch. et Sav. and imperatorin with petroleum ether (60-90 °C) – diethyl ether 1:1, detection at UV 366 nm; (4) for Epimedium brevicornum Maxim and icariin with ethyl acetate – butanone – formic acid – water 10:1:1:1, detection at UV 366 nm before and after spraying with 3 % aluminium trichloride in ethanol.

Chinese J. Med. Pharm. 4 (1), 120-122 (2014). Caihuang Shuangjia Keli granules are a TCM preparation with antibacterial and antiviral effects especially on influenza virus and adenovirus. For quality control, TLC on silica gel (1) for Rheum palmatum L. with petroleum ether (30-60 °C) – methyl acetate – formic acid 15:5:1, detection at UV 366 nm; (2) for Artemisia carvifolia with petroleum ether (60-90 °C) – ethyl acetate 3:2, detection at UV 366 nm; (3) for Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi and baicalin with ethyl acetate – butanone – formic acid – water 5:3:1:1, detection by spraying with 10 % ferric chloride in ethanol and viewing in daylight; (4) for Isatis indigotica Fortune and indigo blue with toluene – benzene - ethyl acetate – chloroform 2:2:1:4, detection in daylight; (5) for Amomum tsao-ko with toluene - ethyl acetate 9:4, detection by spraying with 10 % aluminum phosphate in ethanol and heating at 105 °C for 5 min and viewing in daylight.

Trends in Analytical Chemistry 52 (2013) 155-169. Review and discussion of carbohydrates as functional ingredients in herbs and functional foods and their analysis with different techniques. Various references on HPTLC methods for mono-, di-, oligo-, and polysaccharides are listed (HPTLC generally on silica gel, detection with diphenylamine-aniline-phosphoric acid).

J. Sep. Sci. 38, 4180-4186 (2015). HPTLC of glycyrrhizic acid in the dried root and rhizoma of the plants Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch, Glycyrrhiza inflata Bat, and Glycyrrhiza glabra L. on silica gel with ethyl acetate - water - acetic acid - formic acid 14:2:2:1. Detection by spraying with 10 % solution of sulfuric acid in ethanol, followed by heating at 105 °C for 10 min. Quantitative determination by absorbance measurement at 365 nm.

Chinese J. Pharm. Anal. (3), 547-553 (2014). Rhizoma Cimicifugae is a medicinal herb and one of the main ingredients of TCM preparations for the treatment of measles, sore mouth and throat, rashes, chronic diarrhea etc. For quality control, TLC of the extracts of the drug sample on silica gel with the lower phase of chloroform – methanol – water below 10 °C, detection under UV 366 nm revealed 9 pale blue zones. Detection by spraying with a freshly prepared solution of vanillin – sulfuric acid – acetic acid 1:10:1000 followed by heating at 105 ˚C until the zones are visible under UV 366 nm, this detection mode revealed 16 zones of different color. The resulting images were converted to digital profiles to carry out similarity and two-dimensional clustering analysis. The main components were identified using QTofMS with cimifugin, prim-O-glucosylcimifugin, 27-deoxyactein, and ferulic acid as references. Based on the fingerprints the genuine drugs were easily differentiated from adulterant drugs.