Hptlc Fingerprint Profiling of Hydroalcoholic Extracts from Ficus Carica and Morus Alba: A Comparative Phytochemical Analysis

Abstract

Introduction: High-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC) is a robust analytical technique for phytochemical fingerprinting and standardization of herbal extracts. However, comparative fingerprint profiling of Ficus carica (fig) and Morus alba (white mulberry) hydroalcoholic extracts has not yet been explored

Objectives: This study aims to develop and validate HPTLC methods to generate and compare chemical fingerprints of hydroalcoholic extracts of F. carica and M. alba.

Methods: Leaves and bark of authenticated F. carica and M. alba were shade-dried, powdered, and extracted with 10% ethanol and 1% water via Soxhlet. Preliminary phytochemical screening was performed to detect major metabolite classes. HPTLC separation used silica gel 60 F₂₅₄ plates with an optimized mobile phase Toluene: Ethyl acetate: Formic Acid (6: 4: 0.2). Samples were applied as 6 mm bands, developed to 8 cm in a saturated chamber, then visualized under UV 254/366 nm and post-derivatized with anisaldehyde‑sulfuric acid. Densitometric scanning was conducted at 366 nm.

Results: Both extracts exhibited rich phytochemical profiles including flavonoids, phenolic acids, tannins, and alkaloids with different Rf valve.

Conclusions: At 254 nm, many conjugated phytochemicals—especially alkaloids, phenolics, flavonoids—absorb strongly, making their spots appear as dark bands on plates coated with F₂₅₄ silica gel.in the HPTLC analysis of sample there was many unknow compound found in the sample