Homeopathic matrix tinctures of greater celandine

(Chelidonium majus L.) were obtained using freshly

collected and dried plant material (roots). The samples
analyzed by GC-MS showed the presence of a combination
of alkaloids including canadine, stylopine,
homochelidonine, protopine, dihydronitidine,
norchelerythrine, dihydroberberine, and norsanguinarine.
Some of these compounds (dihydroberberine,
norchelerythrine, and norsanguinarine) were present only
in the tinctures prepared from dried material and not
detected in the preparations obtained using freshly
collected raw material. New methods for the quality
control of homeopathic matrix tinctures of celandine root
have been developed using qualitative chemical reactions
and TLC on Sorbfil plates eluted in an ethyl acetate-
ethanol-0.1 M sodium hydroxide (6: 3: 2) solution with
reference to the standard solutions of sanguirythrine
(sanguinarine + chelerythrine) and berberine in ethanol.
The spots (adsorption bands) on the TLC plates are
detected using a modified Dragendorff’s reagent. Alkaloids
are extracted from tinctures with chloroform. Quantitative
estimation of the total alkaloid content (recalculated for
sanguirythrine) was carried out by UV spectrophotometry
at 278 nm. The total alkaloid content in homeopathic
matrix tinctures obtained from freshly collected raw
material varies within 0.015–0.032%, and in that from
dried material, within 0.028–0.081%.