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

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.