OBJECTIVE Analysis of traditional Chinese medicinal(TCM)supplements has always been a laborious task,particularly in the case of multi-ingredient formulations.Traditionally,herbal extracts are analyzed using one or few markers compounds.In the recent years,however,pharmaceutical companies are introducing health supplements of TCM ingredients to cater to the needs of consumers in the fast-paced society in this age.As such,new problems arise in the aspects of composition identification as well as quality analysis.In most cases of products or supplements formulated with multiple TCM herbs,the chemical composition and nature of each raw material differs greatly from the others in the formulation.This results in a requirement for individual analytical processes in order to identify the marker compounds in the various botanicals.The aim of this study is to establish a rapid and low cost analytical approach using high performance thin layer chromatography(HPTLC)for the analysis of 3 key components of the LAC Liver Protector,a supplement with TCM formulation aimed at improving liver health.METHODS The TCM herbs were extracted with methods derived from Chinese Pharmacopeia standards.The herbal extracts were then applied to HPTLC plates using CAMAG Linomat 5 and developed using fully saturated twin-trough chromatographic chambers.The developed plates were derivatized and documented with CAMAG TLC Visualizer.The images were processed with CAMAG winCATS software to calculate the Rf values and confirm the presence of key constituents of the herbs.RESULTS The 3 key components of LAC Liver Protector product,namely Radix notoginseng,Rhizoma alismatis and Radix paeoniae alba/rubra were identified in all 6 batches of products tested.CONCLUSION With the increasing trend of small and medium-sized enterprises(SMEs)bringing natural products and health supplements into the market,it is crucial that the qualities of both raw materials and end products be well-assured for the protection of consumers.With the technology of HPTLC,science can be incorporated to help SMEs with their quality control,thereby ensuring product quality. OBJECTIVE ANALYSIS OF TRADITIONAL CHINESE MEDICINAL (TCM) supplements has always been a laborious task, particularly in the case of multi-ingredient formulations. Traditionally, herbal extracts are one or few markers compounds.In the recent years, however, pharmaceutical companies are introducing health supplements of TCM ingredients to cater to the needs of consumers in the fast-paced society in this age. As such, new problems arise in the aspects of composition identification as well as quality analysis. In most cases of supplements formulated with multiple TCM herbs, the chemical composition and nature of each raw material provided greatly from the others in the formulation. This result in a requirement for individual analytical processes in order to identify the marker compounds in the various botanicals. The aim of this study is to establish a rapid and low cost analytical approach using high performance thin layer chromatography (HPTLC) for the analysis of 3 key compo nents of the LAC Liver Protector, a supplement with TCM formulation aimed at improving liver health. METHODS The TCM herbs were extracted with methods derived from Chinese Pharmacopeia standards. The herbal extracts were then applied to HPTLC plates using CAMAG Linomat 5 and developed using fully saturated twin-trough chromatographic chambers. The developed plates were derivatized and documented with CAMAG TLC Visualizer. The images were processed with CAMAG winCATS software to calculate the Rf values ​​and confirm the presence of key constituents of the herbs. RESULTS The 3 key components of LAC Liver Protector product, namely Radix notoginseng, Rhizoma alismatis and Radix paeoniae alba / rubra were identified in all 6 batches of products tested. CONCLUSION With the increasing trend of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) bringing natural products and health supplements into the market, it is crucial that the qualities of both raw materials and end products be well-assured for the protection ofconsumers.With the technology of HPTLC, science can be incorporated to help SMEs with their quality control, thus ensuring product quality.