A new HPTLC densitometric method for analysis of swertiamarin in Enicostemma littorale and commercial formulations.

A high-performance thin layer chromatographic densitometric method for the analysis of swertiamarin in 60% methanolic extract of Enicostemma littorale and commercial formulations has been developed and validated in this study. Swertiamarin was separated on aluminium-backed silica gel 60 F₂₅₄ plates using ethyl acetate : methanol : water (77 : 15 : 8)% v/v as the mobile phase. This system was found to give a compact spot of swertiamarin at R(f) value 0.36 ± 0.01. The limit of detection and limit of quantification were found to be 31.25 and 103.12 ng spot⁻¹, respectively. The proposed method was employed with a high degree of precision and accuracy for the estimation of swertiamarin in methanolic extract of Enicostemma littorale and in commercial formulations.