Development and Application of an Optimised HPTLC Method for Profiling Bioactive Compounds in Marketed Green Tea Products

Green tea has gained the global recognition for its health-promoting bioactive components such as rutin, caffeic acid, chlorogenic acid, and caffeine. With increasing consumer demand and rising concerns over product authenticity and adulteration, this study presents a qualitative high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC) for profiling these four marker compounds in five commercially available green tea products compared against a botanical reference material (BRM). The HPTLC method was developed for identifying these compounds using a mobile phase mixture of ethyl acetate, methanol, water, and formic acid (50:4:4:2.5). Additionally, physiochemical differences of green tea samples were also studied, including colour, texture, pH, and solubility in water, providing further insights into product quality and authenticity. This approach contributes to the utility of qualitative HPTLC as a cost-effective, rapid screening tool for standardization and quality control of green tea formulations. The findings are precise and relevant, supporting regulatory and consumer safety to ensure the integrity of green tea supplements in a growing global market.