HPTLC densitometric analysis of arbutin in bulk drug and methanolic extracts of Arctostaphylos uva-ursi.

A high-performance thin layer chromatographic densitometric method for the analysis of arbutin was developed and validated in the present investigation. Arbutin was separated on aluminium-backed silica gel 60 F(254) plates with methanol : chloroform (3:7)% (v/v) as the mobile phase. This system was found to give a compact spot of arbutin at a retention factor (R(f)) value of 0.32 ± 0.02. The limit of detection and limit of quantification were found to be 35.42 and 106.26 ng/spot, respectively. The proposed method with a high degree of precision and accuracy was employed for the analysis of arbutin in the bulk drug and methanolic extract of Arctostaphylos uva-ursi.