Enhancing Extractions by Salting Out

Addition of a salt to the sample during the course of an extraction, also known as “salting out,” often quantitatively enhances the extraction yield. In fact, salting out provides the basis for the QuECHERS technique, though it is widely used in other extraction procedures as well. However, the salting out concept is not widely taught, and questions remain, like how much salt to use or which salt should be used. This month, we’ll take a look at the principles behind salting out and offer guidance on the application of this approach in analytical extractions.