Quantitative estimation of barbaloin in Aloe vera and its commercial formulations by using HPTLC

In Indian Ayurvedic system of medicine the leaf of Ghritkumari (Lat: Aloe vera; Fam: Liliaceae ) has been extensively used as a cathartic agent to treat severe stomach constipation. In order to develop reliable quality control marker for quality evaluation and to check the commercial samples of Aloe vera for authenticity and purity, its detailed chemical and HPTLC analysis has been done. The cathartic priciples viz. Barbaloin was extracted from leaf skin part by using different solvent i.e hexane, ethyl acetate and methanol and was found to present in methanol extract only. Also the, HPTLC studies of Barbaloin compounds revealed that, it is present in the leaf skin but not present even in traces in stem part, leaf gel and root part of the Aloe vera plant. It has been found that Barbaloin is present in a few commercial samples which shows that in those samples leaf skin part is used and the samples which lacks barbaloin other part of the Aloe vera plant has been used . It gave reproducible results and found linear in the range 1500 – 7500 ng. The method was found to be simple, sensitive, precise, accurate and specific for estimation of barbaloin from Aloe vera and its commercial formulations.