Gas and high performance thin layer chromatographic based-determination method for quantification of thymol in semisolid traditional dosage forms

The control and standardization process of herbal products is a critical point in preparation of those medicaments. In Traditional Persian Medicine (TPM) literature, out of all the different pharmaceutical dosage forms, Jawarish is a semisolid gastrointestinal dosage form with positive related effects. Jawarish-e-Khuzi, including Zataria multiflora, Lepidium sativum, Trachyspermum ammi, Terminalia chebula, ferrous sulfate, and also honey is one of the popular mentioned traditional oral formulations. However, there have been no noticeable and proven control and standardization for this formulation. In this study, Jawarish-e-Khuzi was prepared based on one of the pharmaceutical textbooks of Traditional Persian Medicine (TPM). Using gas chromatography/mass spectroscopy (GC/MS), the volatile composition of this formulation was analyzed. Subsequently, Gas chromatography/flame ionization detector (GC/FID) and High-Performance Thin-Layer Chromatography (HPTLC) techniques were employed to determine the main component. The GC/MS results showed thymol as the main constituent. In the content determination process via GC/FID, thymol was proved to be 0.02% of the whole preparation. The outcome of HPTLC method also corresponded with that of GC/FID. Based on the method validation parameters, both GC/FID and HPTLC methods are useful for the volatile content determination of semisolid dosage forms.