Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry
for the Determination of Antidepressants
and Some of their Major Metabolites in Human
Biological Matrices
Ana de Castro , Angelines Cruz , and Manuel López-Rivadulla
Abstract
Due to the high prescription of antidepressants and their frequent involve-
ment in clinical and forensic intoxications, reliable analytical techniques for
identification and quantification of these therapeutic drugs should be available in
clinical and toxicological laboratories. Improvements in liquid chromatography-
mass spectrometry LC-MS(MS) technology over the last two decades have favored
this technique to be one of the most commonly employed for this purpose, as it
combines the high selectivity and sensitivity of the mass spectrometer with the great
versatility of the liquid chromatographic separation. In this chapter, LC-MS(MS)
applications for antidepressants determination are reviewed, detailing typical sam-
ple preparation techniques used for these therapeutic drugs, as well as common
chromatographic and mass spectrometric characteristics. In addition, an LC-MS/
MS method for the most common antidepressants used in clinical practice is
described as an example of a whole method development and validation.
1
Introduction
Antidepressants were first introduced into the market in the 1950s with the seren-
dipitous discovery of the antidepressant effect of two drugs initially evaluated for
other medical uses: Iproniazide, a monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI), and
Imipramine, a tricyclic antidepressant (TCA). Since then, a whole new generation
of chemically and pharmacologically unrelated compounds have been introduced,
which appear to be safer and better tolerated due to a more specific mechanism of
action. These include selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), serotonin and
A. de Castro • A. Cruz • M. López-Rivadulla (
*
)
Forensic Toxicology Service, Institute of Forensic Sciences, University of Santiago
de Compostela , 15782 , Santiago de Compostela, Spain
e-mail: manuel.lopez-rivadulla@usc.es
