HPTLC fingerprinting of extracts of Mango Mistletoe Helicanthus elastica (Desr.) Danser with multiple markers

Helicanthu elastica (Desr.) Danser (Loranthaceae) is a less known medicinally important mistletoe species occurring in India for which chemical fingerprinting analysis is wanting. In the present communication, finger print profile of extracts of H. ealstica has been developed. Chloroform and ethanol extract of the plant were fingerprinted in suitable solvent system and scanned densitometrically under UV and after dipping in vanillin-sulphuric acid reagent followed by heating at 105°C. Presence of different marker compounds in the extract has also been confirmed by co-TLC under suitable solvent system. The total ethanol extract has been fingerprinted using HPLC-UV also. The study revealed differentiating fingerprints which would be helpful in the authentication of H. elastica.