Rapid TLC-densitometric analysis of plaunotol from Croton sublyratus leaves

A simple, rapid, and accurate method of TLC-densitometry was developed to quantitate plaunotol, an antipeptic ulcer diterpenoid, in the leaves of Croton sublyratus Kurz (Euphorbiaceae). Plaunotol was extracted with boiling 95% ethanol and the unpurified extracts were used directly for the analysis of plaunotol by the TLC-densitometric method. TLC was carried out using silica gel and the solvent system of chloroform: N-propanol, 96:4. Densitometric scanning of the TLC plate was performed using the wavelength of 220 nm. The developed technique showed high accuracy and precision as compared with the GC method and could detect plaunotol at a quantity of as low as 0.12 microg. Preliminary experiments indicate that the technique can be a useful tool in the screening of Croton sublyratus plants containing high plaunotol content.