Simultaneous HPTLC quantification of three caffeoylquinic acids in Pluchea indica leaves and their commercial products in Thailand

Abstract

In Thai traditional medicine, Pluchea indica (L.) Less., Asteraceae, leaf has been widely used for the treatment of diabetes mellitus, tumors, hypertension, cystitis, and wounds. P. indica herbal tea is commercially available in Thailand as a health-promoting drink. The study was conducted to develop and validate a high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC) method for the quantitative analysis of chlorogenic acid, 3,4-O-dicaffeoylquinic acid, and 3,5-O-dicaffeoylquinic acid in P. indica leaf extract and their commercial products in Thailand. The method was validated according to ICH guidelines. The proposed HPTLC method showed acceptable validation parameters. The content of chlorogenic acid, 3,4-O-dicaffeoylquinic acid, and 3,5-O-dicaffeoylquinic acid in P. indica leaves from seven different provinces in Thailand was in the range of not detectable −1.94 ± 0.02%w/w, 0.71 ± 0.01–1.89 ± 0.05%w/w, and 1.00 ± 0.01–2.18 ± 0.03%w/w, respectively, while in the commercial products, it was in the range of 0.59 ± 0.03–2.17 ± 0.05%w/w, 0.53 ± 0.04–3.77 ± 0.03%w/w, and 0.88 ± 0.05–4.72 ± 0.10%w/w, respectively. The results indicated that plantation of P. indica in coastal saline land would be beneficial as it would increase the concentration of its active compounds and improve its medicinal quality. The developed high-performance thin-layer chromatography could be used as a rapid, reliable, less demanding, and cost-effective analytical method.