Emerging macro- and micromolecules separation

Following their physical and chemical properties, macro- and micromolecules in biological substances are nowadays separated using conventional and emerging techniques. In the current chapter, emerging separation technologies such as colloidal gas aphrons (CGA), ultrasound-assisted crystallization, pressurized microwave extraction, and reverse micellar extraction (RME) are discussed in detail. CGA are surfactant-stabilized microbubbles that have been utilized for the selective separation of both macro- and micromolecules (i.e., proteins and polyphenols, respectively). Protein segregation has been conducted via ultrasound-assisted crystallization, too, a process considered in terms of nucleation and crystal growth. Besides, a typical extraction technique based on microwaves has recently been combined with pressure in order to separate and recover efficiently macromolecules (i.e., pectin) from food by-products. RME is a biphasic system that extracts biomolecules in the micelles, which are the nanometer-sized water droplets enclosed by surfactants and are dispersed in a bulk immiscible organic solvent.