Planar chromatography of steroid hormones and anabolics
Simultaneous separation of eleven steroid hormones and synthetic anabolics: progesterone, trenbolone acetate melengestrol acetate, 17-β-estradiol, 19-nortestosterone, fluoxymesterone. norethandrolone, 4-chloro-δ-1-methyl testosterone, clostebol acetate, 6-β-hydroxymethandienone and oxymetholone, was performed on HPTLC plates, 10 x 10 cm, silicagel 60 F 254 (Merck) by. horizontal elution in chloroform-acetone mobile phase. The investigated steroids were successfully visualised under UV light (254 nm). and after spraying with an ethanolic solution of/Moluenesulphonic acid. The efficacy of chromatographic system was checked using simulated real samples for some of the examined steroids, melengestrol acetate and trenbolone acetate, usually misused as growth promoters in cattle and stored unchanged in animal tissue.