Development of a stir bar sorptive extraction based HPLC-FLD method for the quantification of serotonin reuptake inhibitors in plasma, urine and brain tissue samples

The aim of this article is to present an analytical application of stir bar sorptive extraction (SBSE) coupled to HPLC-fluorescence detection (FLD) for the quantification of fluoxetine (FLX), citalopram (CIT) and venlafaxine (VLF) and their active metabolites – norfluoxetine (NFLX), desmethyl- (DCIT) and didesmethylcitalopram (DDCIT) and o-desmethylvenlafaxine (ODV) – in plasma, urine and brain tissue samples. All the parameters influencing adsorption (pH, ion strength, organic modifier addition, volume, extraction time and temperature) and desorption (desorption solvent composition, time, temperature and desorption mode) of the analytes on the stir bar have been optimized. For each matrix, the analytical method has been assessed by studying the linearity and the intra- and interday accuracy (89–113%) and precision (RSD < 13%). The improvement of the quantification limits (0.2–2 μg l−1 for plasma, 2–20 ng g−1 for brain tissue and 1–10 μg l−1 for urine, depending on the respective response for analytes) and the development of a procedure for all the matrices make this method useful in clinical and forensic analysis.