Comparison of thin layer chromatography (tlc) profiles of curcuma xanthorrhiza, curcuma longa and curcuma caesia (family zingiberaceae) using methanol extract

This study aims to compare the Thin Layer Chromatography (TLC) profiles of methanol extracts from three Curcuma species: Curcuma xanthorrhiza, Curcuma longa, and Curcuma caesia, belong to the Zingiberaceae family. These species are known for their medicinal properties and complex phytochemical compositions, yet systematic comparative profiling using TLC remains limited. The rhizomes of each species were cleaned, dried, ground into powder, and extracted using Soxhlet extraction with methanol as the solvent. The crude extracts were concentrated using a rotary evaporator and diluted to different concentrations for analysis. TLC plates were prepared using silica gel as the stationary phase and a mobile phase composed of chloroform and ethyl acetate (6:4 ratio). The results revealed variations in the number, colour, and retention factor (Rf) values of the spots across the three species. C. longa exhibited the most distinct spots with bright yellow-orange coloration, indicating a high curcuminoid content. C. xanthorrhiza showed yellowish-brown spots, while C. caesia displayed darker brown to greyish spots, possibly due to aromatic compounds such as turmerones. This study demonstrates that TLC is an effective preliminary screening method to differentiate bioactive compound profiles among Curcuma species, providing valuable insights for pharmaceutical and cosmetic applications.