Rapid quantification of chemical constituents from chamomiles and dietary supplements using HPTLC

Abstract

Matricaria recutita L. (German Chamomile), Anthemis nobilis L. (Roman Chamomile) and Chrysanthemum morifolium Ramat are commonly used chamomiles. A simple and rapid high performance thin layer chromatographic (HPTLC) method was developed for separation and determination of six flavonoids (rutin, luteolin-7-O-β-glucoside, chamaemeloside, apigenin-7-O-β-glucoside, luteolin, apigenin) and one coumarin (umbelliferone) from chamomile samples and dietary supplements. The separation was achieved on silica NH2 w/UV254 HPTLC plates using dichloromethane/acetonitrile/ethyl formate/glacial acetic acid/formic acid (11/2.5/3/1.25/1.25 v/v) as mobile phase. The quantitation of each compound was carried out using densitometric reflection/absorption mode at their respective absorbance maxima after post-chromatographic derivatization using natural products reagent (1% methanolic solution of diphenylboric acid-β-ethylamino ester). Fifteen authenticated chamomile samples, two capsules and seven tea bags were analyzed. The total content of six compounds was found to be in the range 0.04 – 2.38 mg/100 mg dried plant material, 0.39 – 0.65 mg/ave. wt of capsule and 0.05 – 0.64 mg/100 mg dry wt of tea bags, respectively. The method was validated for specificity, limits of detection and quantification, precision (intra and inter-day), accuracy and stability.