HPTLC: An Emerging Technique in Herbal Medicine

Abstract

Herbal medicine and their formulations are extensively used since time immemorial in developing and well developed countries. Their quality assessment is of benefit not only in research but also in practice. However, quality control of these herbo-mineral preparations is more difficult than that of conventional drug due to chemical complexity and natural variability of product and raw materials. Furthermore, the active principles are, in most cases unknown and selective analytical methods or reference compounds may not be available commercially. Lack of proper standard parameters for the standardization of herbal preparation and several instances of substandard herbs, adulterated herbs come into existence. To meet this thrust area, quality assessment of herbal drugs is mandatory. Several chromatographic techniques, such as thin layer chromatography (TLC), high-performance thin layer chromatography (HPTLC), high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), gas chromatography (GC) and capillary electrophoresis (CE) can be applied as analytical quality assessment parameters. Each technique has its own importance. HPTLC is influential and helpful analytical method equally suitable for qualitative and quantitative works. HPTLC produces visible chromatograms and complex information about the entire sample is available at a glance. Multiple samples are seen simultaneously, so that reference and test samples can be compared for identification. As in day to day research going on in herbal science, HPTLC studies have been adopted as a measure of quality control, shelf life estimation, phytochemical and standardization purposes. Hence, HPTLC seems to be an emerging technique in herbal formulations evaluation.

Keywords: HPTLC, quality assessment, herbal medicine, analytical

Cite this Article

Seema Rani, Khaleequr Rahman, Peerzada Mohd. Younis, et al. HPTLC: An Emerging Technique in Herbal Medicine. Research and Reviews: Journal of Herbal Sciences (RRJoHS). 2015; 4(2): 25–37p.