Novel HPTLC-densitometric method for concurrent quantification of linalool and thymol in essential oils

Monoterpenes, linalool and thymol have been widely used in not only the treatments of several diseases but also food flavouring, dental, perfumery, and toilet products. Plants of the several Lamiaceae family are good sources of linalool and thymol. A rapid, simple, and precise high-performance thin layer chromatography (HPTLC) method was developed for the concurrent estimation of linalool and thymol, and this method was orchestrated using the essential oils extracted from two Lamiaceae plants leaves i.e. O. basilicum and T. vulgaris. Two standards were separated using pre-coated thin-layer chromatography glass plates. The developed HPTLC method was validated by following ICH guidelines (linearity; limit of detection, LOD; limit of quantitation; specificity; accuracy; precision; and robustness). The calibration curves of both the compounds were linear (100–700 ng/spot), with a correlation coefficient (r²) of >999. The developed HPTLC method was effectively applied to the concurrent detection and quantification of linalool and thymol in commercial essential oils.