Application of deep eutectic solvents for separation and determination of bioactive compounds in medicinal plants

The medicinal plants industry, particularly in regard to products rich in biologically active substances for maintaining health, has grown by leaps and bounds in the last decade, with sales of over-the-counter drugs containing these substances growing by billions of dollars. Attention has thus also been paid to the safety and effectiveness of these medicines. We are currently witnessing a rapid increase in the number of publications devoted to the development of new separation procedures that are not only fast and cheap but also more efficient and eco-friendlier, improving both yields and quality of extracts quality without using hazardous organic solvents. The new approaches include those that use deep eutectic solvents (DES), which are characterized by unique parameters. In fact, DESs can be used for both the isolation and determination of biologically active substances in medicinal plants. Therefore, the purpose of the review is to gather details on the application of DESs in the separation of bioactive compounds in medicinal plants and to provide a solid background for future research in this area. To cover these aspects, the available data and references in the field of interest are reviewed and summarized.