An automated dual-mode platform for affinity-based screening of natural products using a pressure-driven strategy

Affinity-based screening is a powerful strategy for drug screening from natural products. However, conventional workflows - whether based on ultrafiltration (UF) or magnetic beads - often involve labour-intensive manual operations, which can limit throughput. Herein, a pressure-driven automated platform for affinity-based screening is reported, compatible with both UF-based and silica bead (SB)-based modes.

The system integrates hydrophilic filtration membranes and readily available components with a real-time pressure feedback mechanism, enabling automated multistep incubation, washing, and elution. The platform was first validated using bovine serum albumin as target with a mixture of warfarin and salicylic acid, demonstrating selective screening. To further evaluate its applicability to complex natural product matrices, porcine pancreatic lipase was selected as target. Lipase-binding compounds were screened from Scutellaria baicalensis extract, leading to the confirmation of 6 candidate ligands supported by subsequent LC-MS analysis.

By reducing manual intervention and utilizing readily available components, this pressure-driven strategy provides a versatile, accessible, and flexible solution for automated affinity-based screening to streamline drug discovery from natural products.