Abstract: Simulated moving bed chromatography, developed in the 1960s, is a kind of continuous preparative chromatography with multiple advantages, such as improving product purity and recovery rate, increasing separation efficiency and reducing costs. This technology has been extensively used in the petrochemical, food and pharmaceutical industries, but has not yet been applied to separate functional components of tea. Current studies have demonstrated the successful separation of catechin by using simulated moving bed chromatography. In this paper, separation principles and application progress at home and abroad of simulated moving bed chromatography are summarized. Meanwhile, its application prospects in the separation of functional components from tea are also discussed. Therefore, simulated moving bed chromatography will become a major research direction for the preparation of catechin and theaflavin.

Key words: simulated moving bed chromatography, functional components of tea, catechin