Using hyphenated HPTLC-MS for quality control of Brassocattleya marcella Koss orchid extracts

Thanks to its pharmacological efficacy on human skin pigmentation disorders, a Brassocattleya marcella Koss orchid extract is now used as an active agent in dermocosmetics [1]. In the aim of quickly checking the conformity and the analytical quality of an industrial extract, we developed a new method using the hyphenated HPTLC-MS interface. We also compared raw materials from different geographical origins in order to rapidly identify 3 phenanthrene derivatives considered as molecular markers of the biologically active extract. The use of this rapid and low-cost technique allows the identification control of the presence of these three phytochemical markers in different batches or different suppliers.