Abstract
Background
Homoeopathic mother tinctures and herbal extracts are used worldwide for medicinal purposes on
the basis that the plant extract contains the active components essential for medicinal use. Quality
analysis of samples ensures that the correct active components are present for medicinal use. Thin
layer chromatography has been used extensively to determine the quality of plant extracts and could
just as readily be applied to the assessment of quality of homoeopathic mother tinctures. The
development of a multidimensional technique allows for greater quality analyses of these extracts.
Materials and Methods
The Salvia officinalis sample was extracted and the one dimensional thin layer chromatographic plate
development of extracted sample was performed according to the German Homoeopathic
Pharmacopoeia (GHP). Before the two dimensional thin layer chromatographic plates where run,
different solvent systems were tested through a comparison of the resultant one dimensional thin layer
chromatographic plates with that of the plate developed according to the GHP. The two dimensional
thin layer chromatographic plate was developed in one direction using the eluent given in the GHP,
the plate was then rotated 90 degrees and further developed using neat dichloromethane.
Results and Conclusion
The two dimensional thin layer chromatogram for the selected sample Salvia officinalis was
successfully established. This results in a more extensive profile regarding the identification of the
individual components present in the homoeopathic mother tincture. The further production of two
dimensional chromatograms is essential to the expanded detailed analysis of individual products and
potential raw material production of even higher standards.