Comparative High-Performance Thin-Layer Chromatography Profiling of Saussurea lappa and Saussurea auriculata

Saussurea genus belonging to the Asteraceae family comprises of many medicinally important species. In the present study, two species of Saussurea, i.e., S. lappa and S. auriculata, have been evaluated for two marker compounds (β-sitosterol and lupeol). Methanolic extracts of flower and root parts were prepared, and chromatographic separation was achieved using toluene—ethyl acetate—glacial acetic acid (14.5:4.5:1.0) as the mobile phase. The RF values for β-sitosterol and lupeol were found to be 0.71 and 0.88, respectively. The linear regression analysis from the calibration plot shows good linear relationship with regression coefficient r = 0.999, within the range of 100–400 ng. The method was validated in terms of limits of detection and quantification (LOD and LOQ), precision, and accuracy. Maximum amounts of both the compounds have been found in S. auriculata. The method applied is simple and reliable to verify these marker compounds in other Saussurea species.