Determination of some psychotropic drugs in serum and saliva samples by HPLC-DAD and HPLC MS

• HPLC analysis of seven psychotropic drugs in human serum or saliva samples was developed.
• The method was used for determination of selected drugs in serum and saliva from psychiatric patients.
• HPLC-DAD and Phenyl Hexyl RP column, buffered aqueous methanol + DEA was applied.
• The procedure was validated.
• LC–MS was applied for identification of drugs and metabolites in saliva and serum.

A simple, rapid and sensitive HPLC-DAD method has been developed and validated for the simultaneous determination of seven psychotropic drugs (risperidone, citalopram, clozapine,quetiapine, levomepromazine, perazine and aripiprazole) in human serum or saliva samples. The chromatographic analyses were performed on a XSELECT CSH Phenyl-Hexyl column with a mobile phase containing methanol, acetate buffer at pH 3.5 and 0.025 mL−1 diethylamine. The influence of concentration of methanol in injection samples and injection volume on peak symmetry and system efficiency was examined.The full separation of all investigated drugs, good peaks' symmetry and simultaneously high systems efficiency were obtained in applied chromatographic system. The method is suitable for the analysis of investigated drugs in human plasma or saliva for psychiatric patients for control of pharmacotherapy, particularly in combination therapy. HPLC–MS was applied for verification of the presence of drugs and their metabolites in serum and saliva samples from patients.

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