Extraction Methods of Extractive Substances from Medicinal Plant Raw Materials: Advantages and Limitations

Abstract

Medicinal plants have recently gained considerable interest, forasmuch as their use in ethnomedicine for the treatment of common diseases such as colds, fevers and other medical assumptions are now confirmed by reliable scientific investigations. Natural products are an important source of biologically active substances that can be used to develop drugs. The amount of bioactive natural compounds in natural medicines is always quite low. Today it is very important to choose the right effective and selective methods of extraction and isolation of these biologically active natural compounds. A wide range of technologies using various extraction methods is currently available. Thus, the present review paper aims to describe and compare the most commonly used methods, based on their principles, benefits, and limitations, to help assess the feasibility and cost-effectiveness of the methods.