Separation of a mixture of eleven alkaloids by 2D-TLC on Multi-K CS5 plates and identification of analytes in Thalictrum foetidum root extract by TLC and HPLC—DAD

Abstract

In this study, authors propose a simple and cost-effective two-dimensional thin-layer chromatography (2D-TLC) method for the simultaneous determination of eleven standards alkaloids: allocryptopine (A), berberine (Be), boldine (Bo), chelidonine (Ch), glaucine (G), papaverine (Pa), emetine (E), columbamine (Col), magnoflorine (M), palmatine (Pal), and coptisine (Cop). Separation of the alkaloid mixture was achieved by 2D-TLC using an aqueous mobile phase (RP) in the first dimension (80% methanol + water + 0.05 mL−1 diethylamine) and a normal phase (NP) in the second dimension (18% methanol, 18% acetone in 63% diisopropyl ether containing 1% ammonia, v/v) on bilayer Multi-K CS5 plates. The composition of the mobile phases was optimized in terms of retention, separation selectivity, spots symmetry, and system efficiency. The procedure was evaluated in terms of natural samples analysis. Magnoflorine and berberine were identified in Thalictrum foetidum root extract. Additionally, the alkaloids in the extract sample were confirmed by high-performance liquid chromatography—diode-array detection method.