Quantitative analysis of phytochemicals fromInula capparoots

Abstract

Inula cappa (family Compositae) is used in the Ayurvedic medicinal system for the treatment of bronchitis, diabetes, fever, hypertension, and rheumatism. The proposed high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC) study offers coherent evaluation of isoalantolactone, germacranolide, β-sitosterol, and lupeol from I. cappa root. Methanolic solutions of isoalantolactone, germacranolide, β-sitosterol, and lupeol were applied on an HPTLC plate and they were scanned at 525 nm. The mobile phase toluene—methanol (9.4:0.6, v/v) was used for all the phytochemicals. After development, all the plates were air-dried at room temperature, derivatized with anisaldehyde–sulfuric acid reagent and heated at 105°C. This study aids the identification of these compounds and provides an easy and simple method for the simultaneous estimation of these markers in the I. cappa roots. The method would serve as an expedient tool in routine analyses to corroborate the drug through good constancy.