Preliminary Qualitative HPTLC Fingerprinting of Triterpenoid Saponins in Gymnema sylvestre and Protoberberine Alkaloids in Berberis aristata

Abstract Gymnema sylvestre R.Br. and Berberis aristata DC. are two widely used Ayurvedic antihyperglycemic herbs that are frequently co-formulated in polyherbal preparations, yet reference HPTLC identity data for their hydroalcoholic extracts remain limited. This study reports a preliminary qualitative HPTLC fingerprinting investigation of the hydroalcoholic extract of Gymnema sylvestre and the hydroalcoholic and aqueous extracts of Berberis aristata . For Gymnema sylvestre extract (leaf, 14% w/w hydroalcoholic yield), chromatography on silica gel 60 F₂₅₄ with toluene: ethyl acetate: formic acid: methanol (3:5:0.5:2) and post-derivatization visualization (10% sulphuric acid in methanol) resolved three bands at Rf 0.52, 0.33 and 0.19, developing light blue, dark blue and light blue colouration respectively, consistent with an oleanane-type triterpenoid saponin class and tentatively corresponding by co-chromatography to gymnemagenin, gymnemic acid IV and deacyl gymnemic acid. For Berberis aristata extracts (root; hydroalcoholic yield 8% w/w, aqueous yield 6% w/w), the mobile phase butanol: ethyl acetate: formic acid: water (3:5:0.5:1) resolved two bands at Rf 0.58 and 0.47 in both extracts, showing yellowish-green fluorescence under UV light (254/366 nm) without derivatization, consistent with the protoberberine alkaloid chromophore and tentatively corresponding to berberine and palmatine; the jatrorrhizine standard resolved at a distinct Rf of 0.52 but was not detected in either extract. These preliminary, tentative fingerprints are reported as a qualitative reference profile only; quantitative estimation, inter-batch replication, and formal validation remain necessary before these methods can be regarded as standardization tools.