HIGH-PERFORMANCE THIN-LAYER CHROMATOGRAPHY (HPTLC) FINGERPRINTING OF WRIGHTIA TINCTORIA ROXB LEAVES

Background: Wrightia tinctoria Roxb., a member of the Apocynaceae family, is a valuable extra-pharmacopeial plant in Ayurvedic practice, recognized for its anti-inflammatory properties and historical use in treating psoriasis. Objective: The study aims to conduct a HPTLC fingerprint profile of its swarasa (leaf juice). Materials and Methods: shade-dried leaf powders were subjected for the HPTLC analysis, the methanolic extract of the leaf juice was developed using a Toluene: Acetone: Methanol (8.9:0.9:0.2) solvent system, followed by densitometric scanning at 520 nm after derivatization with an anisaldehyde–sulphuric acid reagent. Results: The HPTLC fingerprinting profile displayed 12 distinct peaks, indicating a complex phytoconstituent profile. A major peak was identified at Rf ~0.88, confirming the presence of the active triterpenoid lupeol, which aligned with the standard lupeol peak at Rf ~0.89. Conclusion: The developed HPTLC profile successfully identified lupeol and serves as a reliable reference tool for the future quality control and standardization of Wrightia tinctoria Roxb.