Comprehensive Hptlc Fingerprinting: A Novel Economic Approach To Evaluating The Quality Of Ganoderma Lucidum Fruiting Body

Quality evaluation of herbal drugs requires the assessment of identity and possible adulterations, as well as the determination of the content of active principles or markers. For that, normally, different methods, using different chromatographic techniques are prescribed in the Pharmacopeia monographs. The goal of this work is to propose a new method for evaluation, based on "comprehensive high-performance thin layer chromatography (HPTLC) fingerprinting." A single HPTLC analysis, which combines identification of Ganoderma lucidum fruiting body with a test for adulteration and quantitative determination of the content of total triterpene acids is proposed. Parameters of the HPTLC method were optimized for simplicity, and robustness. Then, 50 samples of G. lucidum fruiting body, plus samples of possible adulterating species were evaluated, proving specificity of the method for the targeted species. Triterpene acids were assayed by integrating the peaks of ganoderic acids in the fingerprint, summing their areas, and quantifying them against a single level calibration point of ganoderic acid A. The presented HPTLC method offers an economic yet powerful alternative to the current USP monograph on G. lucidum fruiting body. It combines identification and quantitative assessment in a single, low-cost test, eliminating the UHPLC assay of total triterpene acids. This way the samples' quality can be comprehensively described.