Recent Techniques for Extraction of Natural Products

In recent years there has been increasing interest in the usage of herbal/alternative medicine for the treatment of the illness. The Extraction of the active constituents from the plant material is the crucial first step to achieve desired effect. In this article, various extraction techniques like older methods, conventional methods and the nonconventional methods have been reviewed. The advantages and the limitations of the various techniques have been discussed. The traditional techniques like maceration, percolation, decoction, etc., are time-and solvent-consuming. The principle behind the extraction techniques such as Microwave-assisted extraction, Ultrasonic-assisted extraction has also been reviewed. This review brings into prominence the importance of novel methods of extraction for delivering high quality product.