PRELIMINARY HPTLC FINGERPRINTING AND QUALITATIVE IDENTIFICATION OF RUTIN IN ETHANOLIC LEAF EXTRACT OF RUTA GRAVEOLENS LINN

Ruta graveolens Linn. commonly called garden rue, is a medicinal plant known for its rich content of bioactive secondary metabolites, including flavonoids, phenolic compounds, and alkaloids. This study aimed to perform preliminary HPTLC fingerprinting and qualitatively identify rutin in the ethanolic leaf extract of R. graveolens. The leaves were collected, authenticated, shade-dried, and extracted using 70% ethanol via Soxhlet extraction. HPTLC analysis was conducted on precoated silica gel 60 F254 plates with a mobile phase composed of ethyl acetate:methanol:water:formic acid (7.5:1.5:0.5:0.1). Visualization was carried out under white light, UV 254 nm, and UV 366 nm, followed by densitometric scanning for peak evaluation. The extract displayed a complex chromatographic profile with multiple peaks, and comparison with standard rutin showed closely matching Rf values, confirming its presence. These findings indicate that HPTLC is a reliable and efficient technique for the qualitative detection of rutin and other phytoconstituents in R. graveolens leaves. The established chromatographic fingerprint can serve as a reference for future standardization, quality control, and further phytochemical studies of this medicinal plant.