Intensification strategies of nanofiltration membrane-based technology to separate natural products

Natural products (NPs), as high-added value production, have been considered as healthy products and have become integral components to the functional food processing industry and light industry. In efforts to separate NPs while preserving their biological activity, nanofiltration (NF) membrane-based technology has emerged as a sustainable separation platform owing to their intrinsic properties. However, the efficient separation of natural products to maximize the use of natural resources has become a challenge based on NF membrane-based technology. This review aims to provide an operable strategy for optimizing the effectiveness and performance of NF membrane-based technology. The selectivity of NF membrane depends on the pore size and solute-membrane interaction in NPs separation. Many efforts, therefore, have been directed toward optimizing NF membrane properties. These key factors influencing the separation performances have been analyzed and discussed in detail, which are expected to advance some understanding of NPs separation using NF membrane-based techniques. A broader perspective on NF membrane technology can facilitate the extraction of more available high-added value natural products that have not yet been effectively separated.