Meier Beat, Spriano Daniela
Zurich University of Applied Science, Institute of Biotechnology, CH-8820 Wädenswil, Switzerland.
J AOAC Int. 2010 Sep-Oct;93(5):1399-409.
Herbals and herbal preparations are complex mixtures with numerous natural compounds in an uncharacterized matrix--truly multicomponent systems. This is in contrast to most of the samples of the pharmaceutical and, in part, the food industry, where primarily single compounds have to be analyzed. Recently, models for the characterization of multicomponent systems with near-IR, NMR, and MS combined with chemometric tools have been developed. However, the complexity and sophistication of such methods still prevent their general applicability to the QC of herbals. On the other hand, modern TLC is a well-established method with a long tradition. The typical chromatograms visualize even complex multicomponent systems in a special manner. The technique is rapid, comparatively simple, robust, and extremely versatile. HPTLC can not only confirm but also establish identity. It is also an ideal screening tool for adulterations and is highly suitable for evaluation and monitoring of cultivation, harvesting, and extraction processes and testing of stability. To substantiate these claims, several examples taken from daily work are provided and discussed in this paper.
草药和草药制剂是复杂的混合物，在未表征的基质中含有众多天然化合物——真正的多组分体系。这与制药行业的大多数样品以及部分食品行业的样品形成对比，在这些行业中主要需要分析单一化合物。最近，已开发出结合近红外光谱、核磁共振和质谱以及化学计量工具来表征多组分体系的模型。然而，此类方法的复杂性和精密性仍然阻碍了它们在草药质量控制中的普遍应用。另一方面，现代薄层色谱法是一种有着悠久传统的成熟方法。典型的色谱图以一种特殊的方式呈现出甚至是复杂的多组分体系。该技术快速、相对简单、稳健且极其通用。高效薄层色谱法不仅可以确认而且能够鉴定身份。它也是检测掺假的理想筛选工具，非常适合用于评估和监测种植、收获、提取过程以及稳定性测试。为了证实这些说法，本文提供并讨论了几个日常工作中的实例。
