What are Nutraceuticals?

Nutraceuticals a recent trend in the current health market. They are naturally derived products which are extracted from their original food matrix.

They range from isolates, novel foods, products of botanical origin and many. Examples of nutraceutical products are dietary supplements, natural extracts, multi vitamins, fortified dairy products, botanicals and many others.

FSSAI has authorized 400 plant extracts to be used as nutraceuticals.

How HPTLC can be useful for Nutraceutical Analysis?

Identification

The first chemical test for any natural or synthetic products is its identification. Botanical origin nutraceuticals, being complex extracts pose a major problem here. However, in USA & Europe “High Performance Thin Layer Chromatography (HPTLC) fingerprint” is the regulatory technique for the purpose.

Nutraceuticals are considered as foods by the FSS Act, 2006. Since they are of botanical origin. HPTLC is the only chromatographic technique suitable for routine quality control by proper identification. USP Chapter 203 deals with articles of botanical origin.

Let us take one example of nutraceuticals by HPTLC in food analysis.

Glycyrrhizin is the marker compound of licorice root (Glycyrrhiza glabra), commonly known as mulethi. Glycyrrhizin is used as flavouring and aroma agent in food industry. It is sold in tablet or powder form. HPTLC can be useful to simultaneously identify the extract as well as quantify the glycyrrhizin content.  It is one of the HPTLC chromatography application.

Anchrom Labs was approached with one such problem. We received a powder of licorice root and content of glycyrrhizin was found to be about 5%. It is reported to be 2-25%.

Anchrom Enterprises Pvt. Ltd is one of the leaders in HPTLC in food analysis. Please contact us at lab@anchrom.in for HPTLC analysis of plant extracts, drugs, ingredients in cosmetics, and forensic science.