Modern HPTLCA Perfect Tool for Quality Control of Herbals and Their Preparations

Abstract

Herbals and herbal preparations are complex mixtures with numerous natural compounds in an uncharacterized matrixtruly multicomponent systems. This is in contrast to most of the samples of the pharmaceutical and, in part, the food industry, where primarily single compounds have to be analyzed. Recently, models for the characterization of multicomponent systems with near-IR, NMR, and MS combined with chemometric tools have been developed. However, the complexity and sophistication of such methods still prevent their general applicability to the QC of herbals. On the other hand, modern TLC is a well-established method with a long tradition. The typical chromatograms visualize even complex multicomponent systems in a special manner. The technique is rapid, comparatively simple, robust, and extremely versatile. HPTLC can not only confirm but also establish identity. It is also an ideal screening tool for adulterations and is highly suitable for evaluation and monitoring of cultivation, harvesting, and extraction processes and testing of stability. To substantiate these claims, several examples taken from daily work are provided and discussed in this paper.

Chemical Profiling of Pistacia lentiscus var. Chia Resin and Essential Oil: Ageing Markers and Antimicrobial Activity

“…It is important to state that given that the technique is the advanced form of Thin-Layer Chromatography (TLC), automation, low operating cost, improved application of the samples, higher separation, resolution, data acquisition and processing, faster analysis time, and lower volumes of mobile phase are ensured [54]. Moreover, HPTLC is characterized as a state-of-the-art method and a useful analytical tool in the case of complex mixtures, e.g., plant extracts [55].…”

High‐performance thin‐layer chromatography with atmospheric solids analysis probe mass spectrometry for analysis of gasoline polymeric additives

“…Recently, high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC) has become a stand-out modern system as it is nowadays possible to automate all the steps of planar chromatography (sample application on plate, elution, etc.). This improvement permits the use of HPTLC as a quality control tool 13 for various kinds of compounds present in plants, 14,15 foods 16,17 or drugs. 18,19 Moreover, the possibility of associating HPTLC with mass spectrometry (MS) has enlarged the field of analytical investigation allowing compound identification and providing structural information after HPTLC separation.…”

Rapid discrimination of different Apiaceae species based on HPTLC fingerprints and targeted flavonoids determination using multivariate image analysis

“…in authentication testing of herbal raw material, due to its simplicity, flexibility, high sample throughput and rapid low-cost analysis, due to the fact that many samples can be separated in parallel on the same plate. 19,21 With development of high-performance adsorbent layers and sophisticated instrumentation for high standardisation and reproducibility of sample application, chromatogram development, derivatisation and chromatogram evaluation, HPTLC has become very popular 22 and a tool in pharmaceutical quality control. 23 The entire chromatogram is treated as a unique multivariate fingerprint, i.e.…”