Analytical thin layer chromatography (TLC) is a simple yet powerful chromatographic technique that is widely used for the qualitative characterization of complex mixtures such as plant extracts. For their qualitative and visual characterisation, a large number of more or less specific colour reactions are at hand and numerous reference substances are available as well. However, the identification of extract components by colour and the comparison of retention times is not straightforward. In contrast, the coupling of TLC with MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry can enable the identification of components and contribute to the optimization of TLC protocols. One of the most important steps for a successful TLC-MALDI process is the deposition of a sufficient amount of matrix onto the TLC plate. Standard methods such as the dip-coating protocol have major drawbacks. Here we present an improved and robust procedure for matrix application by means of matrix lines. The practicability of the method was tested on plant extracts from Agrostemma githago L. and Papaver somniferum L. (opium).
