A Methodological Review of Extraction, Purification, and Identification Techniques for Natural Bioactive Compounds

Natural resources, both land and sea, contain many bioactive compounds. Today, these compounds have attracted the attention of many researchers due to their many therapeutic, medical, and other industrial applications. Due to their important health effects, extracting, purifying, and identifying the properties and structural descriptions of natural compounds show great attention in their analytical science. A crucial initial step in generating high-quality research results is preparing medicinal plants for testing. Prior to performing the intended biological test, biologically active chemicals must be extracted, purified, and their concentration and purity determined. Examples of popular extraction methods include percolation, Soxhlet, maceration, ultrasonic, enzymatic, and microwave extraction. On the other hand, the separation and purification of herbal substances is accomplished using numerous very efficient chromatography methods, including thin-layer chromatography, gas chromatography, and liquid chromatography. Ultimately, the resulting compounds are characterized using a range of identification techniques, like nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, infrared spectroscopy, ultraviolet spectroscopy, and mass spectrometry. Here we review and provide an invaluable tool for researchers, business leaders, and legislators seeking to use natural bioactive chemicals to promote human health and environmental sustainability.