The general function of anticoagulants is to prevent blood clotting and growing
of the existing clots in blood vessels. In recent years, there has been a significant improvement
in developing methods of prevention as well as pharmacologic and surgical
treatment of thrombosis. For over the last two decades, low molecular weight heparins
(LMWHs) have found their application in the antithrombotic diseases treatment. These
types of drugs are widely used in clinical therapy. Despite the biological and medical importance
of LMWHs, they have not been completely characterized in terms of their
chemical structure. Due to both, the structural complexity of these anticoagulants and the
presence of impurities, their structural characterization requires the employment of advanced
analytical techniques. Since separation techniques play the key role in these endeavors,
this review will focus on the presentation of recent developments in the separation
of LMWH anticoagulants.