Abstract
M.Tech.
Homoeopathic mother tinctures have an extensive therapeutic history and as the emphasis of health is becoming a worldwide trend, homoeopathic preparations are becoming increasingly popular. However, the quality control and quality assurance still remains a challenge because of the high variability of chemical components involved (Pande and Pathak, 2006). Homoeopathic mother tinctures, singularly and in combinations, contain a copious number of compounds in complex matrices in which no single active constituent is responsible for the overall efficacy. This creates a challenge in establishing quality control standards for raw materials and standardization of finished herbal drugs, resulting in varying standards for these preparations globally (Chitlange, 2008).
Various homoeopathic mother tinctures were selected for comparative analysis and consisted of: Artemisia absinthium, Rosmarinus officinalis e foliis recentibus, Sambucus nigra and Salvia officinalis are all manufactured according to the German Homoeopathic Pharmacopoeia method 3a, indicating the use of fresh plant material to produce the mother tincture (German Homoeopathic Pharmacopoeia, 2003). Many factors influence the quality of homoeopathic mother tinctures and many parameters must be met when assessing the quality of these products (Bandaranayake, 2006). Through thin layer chromatography analysis of the selected homoeopathic mother tinctures one is able to determine whether the active components of the samples are present and deduce whether the sample complies with the minimum standard quality stipulated in the German Homoeopathic Pharmacopoeia as well as the Good Manufacturing Practice (Waksmundzka-Hojnos et al., 2008).
Samples of each homoeopathic mother tincture, purchased from both local and international manufacturers, were decanted into amber glass bottles, randomized and relabeled. The colour of each sample was assessed and compared to the standard colour stated in the German Homoeopathic Pharmacopoeia. For the thin layer chromatographic analysis, each sample together with reference sample were prepared and developed on both aluminum backed TLC plates and glass backed HPTLC plates. Photographs of the resultant chromatograms were taken, the presence of the active components were identified and the quality of each homoeopathic mother tincture was deduced.