title: Chromatographic finger print analysis of anti-inflammatory active extract fractions of aerial parts of Tribulus terrestris by HPTLC technique.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To develop HPTLC fingerprint profile of anti-inflammatory active extract fractions of Tribulus terrestris (family Zygophyllaceae).
  
  
  METHODS
  The anti-inflammatory activity was tested for the methanol and its fractions (chloroform, ethyl acetate, n-butanol and aqueous) and chloroform extract of Tribulus terrestris (aerial parts) by injecting different groups of rats (6 each) with carrageenan in hind paw and measuring the edema volume before and 1, 2 and 3 h after carrageenan injection. Control group received saline i.p. The extracts treatment was injected i.p. in doses of 200 mg/kg 1 h before carrageenan administration. Indomethacin (30 mg/kg) was used as standard. HPTLC studies were carried out using CAMAG HPTLC system equipped with Linomat IV applicator, TLC scanner 3, Reprostar 3, CAMAG ADC 2 and WIN CATS-4 software for the active fractions of chloroform fraction of methanol extract.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The methanol extract showed good antiedematous effect with percentage of inhibition more than 72%, indicating its ability to inhibit the inflammatory mediators. The methanol extract was re-dissolved in 100 mL of distilled water and fractionated with chloroform, ethyl acetate and n-butanol. The four fractions (chloroform, ethyl acetate, n-butanol and aqueous) were subjected to anti-inflammatory activity. Chloroform fraction showed good anti-inflammatory activity at dose of 200 mg/kg. Chloroform fraction was then subjected to normal phase silica gel column chromatography and eluted with petroleum ether-chloroform, chloroform-ethyl acetate mixtures of increasing polarity which produced 15 fractions (F1-F15). Only fractions F1, F2, F4, F5, F7, F9, F11 and F14 were found to be active, hence these were analyzed with HPTLC to develop their finger print profile. These fractions showed different spots with different Rf values.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The different chloroform fractions F1, F2, F4, F5, F7, F9, F11 and F14 revealed 4, 7, 7, 8, 9, 7, 7 and 6 major spots, respectively. The results obtained in this experiment strongly support and validate the traditional uses of this Sudanese medicinal plant.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Khartoum, Sudan.
authors.forename: Mona Salih
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Mohammed
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacognosy, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh-11451, P.O.Box. 2457, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Mohamed Fahad
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Alajmi
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacognosy, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh-11451, P.O.Box. 2457, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Perwez
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Alam
authors.affiliation: Medicinal and Aromatic Plants Research Institute, National Council for Research, Khartoum, Sudan.
authors.forename: Hassan Subki
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Khalid
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Khartoum, Sudan.
authors.forename: Abelkhalig Muddathir
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Mahmoud
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Khartoum, Sudan.
authors.forename: Wadah Jamal
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Ahmed
keywords: Anti-inflammatory; Finger print; HPTLC; Standardization; Tribulus terrestris