St. John's Wort versus Counterfeit St. John's Wort: An HPTLC Study.

Hypericum perforatum L. is the most commonly used herb for treating depression. Due to the popularity of this botanical, there is a potential for economically driven adulteration of St. John's wort (SJW) products. The goal of this study was to investigate SJW ingredients suspected to be adulterated based on simple preliminary HPTLC tests. Commercial samples were analyzed by HPTLC following the United States Pharmacopeia (USP) monograph methodology, with additional visualization under white light. A number of these samples presented odd methanolic solution colors and unconventional HPTLC fingerprints, suggesting the presence of other species and/or extraneous polar additives. To achieve identification and separation of the polar additives, a new reversed-phase HPTLC method was developed. The adulterants were identified as synthetic dyes in the amounts of 0.51 to 1.36% by weight. Identities of the dyes were confirmed by scanning densitometry and HPTLC-MS. A modified USP method with additional detection mode permitted the identification of eight SJW samples adulterated with dyes and six others with flavonoid fingerprints different from those specified by USP from a total of 37 samples of dry extracts, finished products, and bulk raw herb. A decision flowchart is proposed to guide the detection of adulteration of SJW in a systematic fashion.

Fingerprint analysis and the application of HPTLC to the determination of identity and quality of botanicals, from an industry perspective.

There are many examples of botanical identity methodology currently in use today; all have associated levels of confidence and, hence, application for their intended purpose. This paper addresses the application of some of these methods to identify and qualify commonly traded herbs. The relevance of botanical identity and quality within the dietary supplement industry has seen a dramatic increase in the last several years, and now with the current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMPs) recently published and the requirement for 100% identity testing, there is an increased need for reliable methods of analysis and subsequent interpretation of the results or data derived from these methods, given the diversity of samples and matrixes seen on a daily basis in a commercial setting. Example applications of methods described herein illustrate how one can confidently and effectively satisfy the 100% identity rule of the cGMPs to identify crude raw materials and their powdered or liquid extracts as well as identify a majority of such ingredients in finished products with diverse matrixes. The three techniques discussed in this paper are viewed from a qualitative perspective with primary emphasis on the application of HPTLC to a variety of complex samples with varying degrees of difficulty of analysis and interpretation. The three methods discussed are (1) HPTLC, for its fingerprint/pattern recognition capabilities as well as marker compound analysis; (2) microscopy, for identification/recognition of unique cellular, anatomic features and characteristics of the target plant or adulterants; and (3) HPLC for marker compound identification, quantitation, and/or other fingerprint qualities it may contribute to the data set. To support the applications and methods described herein, this paper presents four key approaches to assist in the interpretation of the data collected in order to correctly determine the identity of botanicals and their powdered extracts: the "marker approach," the "multicomponent-based approach", the "pattern approach," and the "multipattern approach", and how these approaches can be used with a vanguard/rearguard strategy in analytical testing as well as forming a basis for the "functional fingerprint" and the concept of phytoequivalence.

Analysis of Scutellaria lateriflora and its adulterants Teucrium canadense and Teucrium chamaedrys by LC-UV/MS, TLC, and digital photomicroscopy.

Methods using liquid chromatography with UV detection (LC-UV), thin-layer chromatography (TLC), and digital photomicroscopy were developed to distinguish between the different species of Scutellaria lateriflora L. and its adulterants Teucrium canadense L. and T. chamaedrys L. Chemically, the 70% ethanol extract of S. lateriflora is characterized by the presence of flavonoids--predominantly baicalin, lateriflorin, dihydrobaicalin, and baicalein. The major compounds of the 70% ethanol extract of T. canadense are phenylpropanoids, with verbascoside as the most prominent, and a variable amount of teucrioside. Teucrioside is the major compound in T. chamaedrys, but it is not present in S. lateriflora. The presence of phenylpropane glycosides can therefore be used to distinguish between the S. lateriflora L. and the two Teucrium species by LC-UV and TLC. The abundant strap-shaped trichomes on the stem, as well as bristle-like trichomes on the leaf, are typically seen microscopically for T. canadense, whereas the waxy cuticle with numerous glandular scales is found in T. chamaedrys. These cell structures were used to determine the adulteration of S. lateriflora crude herb with either of the two Teucrium species.

Credentialing of practitioners of botanical medicine.

This article discusses how practitioners, regardless of other professional licenses they may hold, could be credentialed in botanical medicine. The article reviews the field of clinical botanical medicine and the history and modern status of botanical medicine, as well as organizations currently involved in botanical medicine credentialing. Many different types of professionals prescribe botanical medicines, and the potential for collaboration among them is great. The current trend treats botanical medicine as a narrow subdivision of allopathic medicine and does not acknowledge the breadth, depth, and diversity of botanical medicine and ultimately will not provide maximum benefits for patients. An alternative approach that instead credentials practitioners skilled in the use of a wide variety of botanical medicines in a responsible, scientific fashion is presented.