A Simple HPTLC Approach of Quantification of Serratol and Tirucallic Acid with Boswellic Acids in Boswellia serrata by Validated Densitometric Method with MS/MS Characterization.

This article focuses on the development and validation of a high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC) method coupled with electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (ESI-MS/MS) for the simultaneous qualitative and quantitative analysis of four bioactive marker compounds—3-acetyl-11-keto-β-boswellic acid (AKBBA), β-boswellic acid (BBA), 3-oxo-tirucallic acid (TCA), and serratol (SRT)—in Boswellia serrata Roxb. oleo gum resin extract. The method employs a mobile phase of hexane, ethyl acetate, toluene, chloroform, and formic acid (4:3:3:1:0.1 v/v/v/v/v) and was validated according to International Council for Harmonisation guidelines, demonstrating good linearity, precision, accuracy, and robustness. The four markers were successfully separated, identified, and quantified with limits of detection ranging from 25 to 54 ng/band, and their presence confirmed by LC-ESI-MS/MS analysis. This validated HPTLC-ESI-MS/MS method offers a reliable tool for quality control and standardization of B. serrata extracts and related phytopharmaceutical products.