Determination of rutin in Amaranthus spinosus Linn. whole plant powder by HPTLC

A simple, precise and accurate high-performance thin-layer chromatographic method has been established for the determination of rutin in the whole plant powder of Amaronthus spinosus Linn. Rutin has been reported to have anti-diabetic, anti-thrombotic, anti-inflammatory and anti-carcinogenic activity. A methanol extract of the whole plant powder was used for the experimental work. The concentration of rutin in the whole plant powder was found to be 0.15%. Separation was performed on silica gel 60 F-254 HPTLC plates with ethyl acetate:formic acid: methanol:distilled water in the proportion 10:0.9:1.1:1.7 (v/v), as mobile phase. The determination was carried out using the densitometric absorbance mode at 363 nm. Rutin response was linear over the range 10-60 mu g mL(-1). The HPTLC method was evaluated in terms of sensitivity, accuracy, precision and reproducibility.