THIN-LAYER CHROMATOGRAPHY OF GALLIC ACID, METHYL GALLATE, PYROGALLOL,PHLOROGLUCINOL, CATECHOL, RESORCINOL, HYDROQUINONE, CATECHIN, EPICATECHIN, CINNAMIC ACID, P-COUMARIC ACID, FERULIC ACID AND TANNIC-ACID

Six solvent systems of varying suitability are reported for the thin-l ayer chromatographic separation of simple phenolics acid related compo unds such as gallic acid, methyl gallate, pyrogallol, phloroglucinol, catechol, resorcinol, hydroquinone, catechin, epicatechin, cinnamic ac id, p-coumaric acid, ferulic acid and tannic acid. The solvent system chloroform-ethyl acetate-acetic acid (50:50:1) facilitated the separat ion of all the compounds except pyrogallol and ferulic acid; resorcino l and hydroquinone, which were in turn resolved in benzene-dioxane-ace tic acid (85:15.1). Detection was carried out using iodine vapour, fer ric chloride reagent, ferric chloride-ferricyanide reagent and vanilli n-sulfuric acid reagent. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights res erved.