Rapid high-performance thin-layer chromatographic method for detection of 5% adulteration of black cohosh with Cimicifuga foetida, C. heracleifolia, C. dahurica, or C. americana.

Black cohosh (Cimicifuga racemosa) is used to treat discomfort during menopause and as a substitute for synthetic drugs in hormone replacement therapy. The mostly wildcrafted plant is ranked among the top-selling herbs in the United States. There is a risk for adulteration with the similar-looking C. americana, which grows in the same habitats of the eastern United States. Other adulterants found in today's global marketplace are the 3 Asian Cimicifuga species C. foetida, C. heracleifolia, and C. dahurica. A very practical, rapid, and reliable high-performance thin-layer chromatographic (HPTLC) method was developed for identification of C. racemosa and detection of its most common adulterants by fingerprint profiles. With specific derivatization reagents, mixtures of C. racemosa with a minimum of 5% of one of the adulterants can be detected. The proposed method was validated with respect to specificity, stability, precision, and robustness. It can be used for quality control of black cohosh raw material in a current Good Manufacturing Practices environment.