International Journal of Pure & Applied Chemistry Vol. 6 • No. 3 • July-September 2011 pp. 353-356 I J P A C © Global Research Publications * To whom correspondence be made: E-mail: reyhanbagdat@yahoo.com Thin Layer Chromatography (TLC) Separation of Some Medicinal and Aromatic Plants Reyhan Bahtıyarca Bagdat Central Research Institute for Field Crops P Box: 24 0670 Yenimahalle/Ankara ABSTRACT: TLC (Thin layer chromatography) separation of sage (Salvia officinalis), lemonbalm (Melissa officinalis), thyme (Thymus vulgaris) and mountain tea (Sideritis perfoliata) was performed in this research. Essential oils and extracts of these drugs were loaded in various quantities to Kiesegel 60 glass plates using several solvents and different doses separately. Plant extracts were condensed under Nitrogen gas flow (3:1). Five different dyeing methods were used after achieving the reference plate. Guaiazulene (8 µl) and Liphophilic (10 µl) were used as references in every treatment. Their lay outs were investigated under visual and 254-366 nm UV light. Toluol:Ethylacetate (93:7) as solvent and Anisaldehyde-H 2 SO 4 as dyeing material gave good separation and result. Keywords: TLC Separation, sage (Salvia officinalis), lemon balm (Melissa officinalis), thyme (Thymus vulgaris), mountain tea (Sideritis perfoliata) INTRODUCTION Turkey has the largest flora of any European or Mediterranean country and as a consequence the largest number of medicinal plants species in the Europe and Middle East. Approximately 28,000 tonnes of medicinal and aromatic plants are exported annually, generating nearly 50 million dollars of foreign currency from the trade. This trade has helped to earn 20 times more income compared to one earned through bulbous plants marketed for horticultural purpose. Lange & Schippmann, (1997) and Anonymous (2003) indicate that Turkey is the third largest exporter of medicinal plants of wild origin of any country on earth after China and India. Sage (Salvia officinalis), lemon balm (Melissa officinalis), thyme ( Thymus vulgaris) are well known medicinal and aromatic plants widely used in folk medicines. Mountain tea ( Sideritis perfoliata) is, consumed commonly as herbal tea in Aegean and Mediterennean coastal regions of Turkey. The traditional medicinal plants are mostly used for the treatment of wounds (25.3%), cold and influenza (24.6%), stomach disorders (20%), cough (19%), kidney ailments (18.2%) and diabetes (13.4%) (Kultur, 2006). TLC (thin layer chromatography) is a simple, quick, and inexpensive procedure that gives a quick answer as to how many components are in a mixture. It can be also used to support the identity of a compound in a mixture when the R f of a compound is compared with the R f of a known compound (preferably both run on the same TLC plate). Once visible, the R f value (Retention factor), of each spot can be determined by dividing the distance traveled by the product by the total distance traveled by the solvent (the solvent front). These values depend on the solvent used, and the type of TLC plate, and are not physical constants (Harwood et al. 1999; Reich and Schibli, 2007). TLC may be a useful method in medicinal and aromatic plant breeding to make a quick comparison or selection between or among the components of different promising lines to develop new cultivars. MATERIAL AND METHODS Extracts and essential oils from sage ( Salvia officinalis), thyme (Thymus vulgaris), lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) and mountain tea (Sideritis perfoliata) were used as material with the applied