title: St. John's Wort versus Counterfeit St. John's Wort: An HPTLC Study.
abstract: Hypericum perforatum L. is the most commonly used herb for treating depression. Due to the popularity of this botanical, there is a potential for economically driven adulteration of St. John's wort (SJW) products. The goal of this study was to investigate SJW ingredients suspected to be adulterated based on simple preliminary HPTLC tests. Commercial samples were analyzed by HPTLC following the United States Pharmacopeia (USP) monograph methodology, with additional visualization under white light. A number of these samples presented odd methanolic solution colors and unconventional HPTLC fingerprints, suggesting the presence of other species and/or extraneous polar additives. To achieve identification and separation of the polar additives, a new reversed-phase HPTLC method was developed. The adulterants were identified as synthetic dyes in the amounts of 0.51 to 1.36% by weight. Identities of the dyes were confirmed by scanning densitometry and HPTLC-MS. A modified USP method with additional detection mode permitted the identification of eight SJW samples adulterated with dyes and six others with flavonoid fingerprints different from those specified by USP from a total of 37 samples of dry extracts, finished products, and bulk raw herb. A decision flowchart is proposed to guide the detection of adulteration of SJW in a systematic fashion.
authors.affiliation: CAMAG, Sonnenmattstrasse 11, 4132 Muttenz, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Débora A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Frommenwiler
authors.affiliation: CAMAG, Sonnenmattstrasse 11, 4132 Muttenz, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Eike
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Reich
authors.affiliation: Alkemist Laboratories, Botanical Identity, 1260 Logan Ave B2, Costa Mesa, CA 92626, USA.
authors.forename: Sidney
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sudberg
authors.affiliation: American Herbal Products Association, 8630 Fenton St, Silver Spring, MD 20910, USA.
authors.forename: Maged H M
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Sharaf
authors.affiliation: U.S. Pharmacopeial Convention, 12601 Twinbrook Pkwy, Rockville, MD 20852, USA.
authors.forename: Anton
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bzhelyansky
authors.affiliation: Arizona Nutritional Supplements, 210 S. Beck Ave, Chandler, AZ 85226, USA.
authors.forename: Ben
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lucas
mesh_terms: D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D058110:Counterfeit Drugs / Q000737:chemistry*; D020902:Hypericum / Q000737:chemistry*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D058110:Counterfeit Drugs; D010936:Plant Extracts