Modern Approaches to the Separation and Purification of Natural Products

Natural products are bioactive compounds derived from plants, animals, and microorganisms, holding great importance in medicine and pharmacy. Today, the term 'natural product’ generally refers to secondary metabolites from plants with various biological activities. These products have addressed primary health issues for thousands of years and continue to treat many diseases. Given the low levels of bioactive substances in plants and the difficulty of isolating these molecules in high purity, the importance of separating and purifying natural products becomes evident. Traditional methods of isolation and purification are expensive, time-consuming, and labor-intensive. However, advancements in science and technology have led to new approaches that are fast, effective, low-cost, and highly applicable. These modern methods enable the isolation of substances, determination of their bioactivity, and allow for the monitoring of their interactions, potential synergistic effects, and toxicities. These methods also help reduce cost and effort and save time, which is crucial for academia and the pharmaceutical industry. Numerous studies highlight drug-like molecules discovered through these new approaches. This review explores modern approaches to separating and purifying natural products and their advantages over traditional methods.