Development of thin-layer chromatography‒densitometry for the quantification of lecithin in dietary supplements

Abstract

Lecithin is a mixture of phospholipids which naturally occurs in plants and animals cells. This is a component of drugs as well as dietary supplements, which are used to improve memory and concentration, likewise to decrease cholesterol level in blood, decrease risk of cardiovascular diseases and in a lot of other cases. In this paper the quantitative and qualitative analysis of phosphatidylcholine, which is the main component of lecithin, by thin-layer chromatography with densitometric detection, was described. First, the method was validated according to the International Council for Harmonisation (ICH); validation results have shown that the method was selective, precise, and accurate in the range of the linearity 0.23–3.21 mg mL−1. Next, described method was used for the quantification of phosphatidylcholine in dietary supplements and drugs containing lecithin. The obtained results, both in terms of the quality of chromatographic separation and statistical evaluation are satisfactory, and the developed analytical procedure may be an alternative to other separation techniques, for the quick analysis of lecithin products.