Abstract
A simple and sensitive high-performance thin-layer chromatographic (HPTLC)-densitometric method was developed and validated for quantification of beta-amyrin in the crude extracts of two species of Maytenus (Maytenus obscura and Maytenus parviflora) grown in Saudi Arabia. HPTLC-densitometry was performed on glass-backed silica gel 60 F-254 TLC plates with the binary mobile phase hexane-ethyl acetate (3: 1, v/v). The developed plate was derivatized with p-anisaldehyde, then scanned and quantified densitometrically at 550 nm. The system was found to give a compact spot for beta-amyrin at R-F value of 0.38 +/- 0.01. The method was found to be satisfactory in terms of sensitivity, accuracy, precision, and recovery. The content of beta-amyrin was estimated as 0.42% +/- 0.01% and 0.88% +/- 0.01% w/w in M. obscura and M. parviflora, respectively. The developed HPTLC technique can be very useful for the quantification of beta-amyrin present in various medicinal plants.