BMD-TLC — the useful technique for quantitative analysis of chelidonine, chelerithrine and berberine in herbal drugs

Abstract

Three step bivariant multiple development thin-layer chromatography (BMD-TLC) technique was used in the quantitative analysis of chelerithrine, berberine, and chelidonine in extracts of greater celandine herb, roots, and herbal drugs. The separation was carried out on 10 cm × 10 cm TLC Si60 F254s glass plates in the horizontal DS-Chamber. First, the alkaloids were separated at a distance of 6 cm into two zones using toluene-ethyl acetate-methanol (1:1:1 ν/ν) solvent mixture as mobile phase. The plate was cut at 4.5 cm into two parts, lower part containing berberine and chelerithrine and upper part with chelidonine zone. The separation of berberine and chelerithrine was continued using n-propanol-formic acid-water (84:8:8 ν/ν) as mobile phase at a distance of 4.5 cm. The separation of chelidonine from accompanied compounds was achieved using the ethyl acetate-formic acid-water (7:1:1 ν/ν) solvent mixture at a distance of 5 cm. The densitometric quantification of Chelidonium alkaloids was performed at λ = 2...