Development of Simultaneous HPTLC Method for estimation of Boswellic acid, Curcumin and Diosgenin in Polyherbal Transdermal Gel

Abstract

Background: Boswellic acid, curcumin and diosgenin are important phytoconstituents present in Boswellia serrata, Curcuma longa and Trigonella foenum-graecum, respectively. Traditionally, these plants are used in the treatment of arthritis. In the present study an attempt has been made to develop a simple, precise, rapid, selective and cost-effective high-performance thin-layer chromatographic (HPTLC) method for simultaneous estimation of boswellic acid, curcumin and diosgenin from polyherbal transdermal gel prepared for the treatment of arthritis. Material and method: The method employed TLC aluminium plates precoated with silica gel 60F254 as the stationary phase. The solvent system consisted of hexane and acetone. Densitometric analysis was carried out in the absorbance mode at 423nm for curcumin whereas for boswellic acid and diosgenin, plates were scanned at 540nm after derivatization. Result: This system was found to give compact spots for boswellic acid (Rf value of 0.54), curcumin (Rf value of 0.30), and diosgenin (Rf value of 0.64). Response was a linear function of the amount applied to the plate in the ranges 1–6 μg for boswellic acid, curcumin and diosgenin. The % of boswellic acid, curcumin and diosgenin from transdermal gel was found to be 99.46%, 99.47% and 98.85% respectively, which was well within the limit. Conclusion: The developed HPTLC method would be an important tool in the quality control method for polyherbal formulations.