Fast separation of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors antidepressants in plasma sample by nonaqueous capillary electrophoresis

A simple, fast, and sensitive liquid–liquid extraction method followed by nonaqueous capillary electrophoresis (LLE/NACE) was developed and validated for simultaneous determination of four antidepressants (fluoxetine, sertraline, citalopram and paroxetine) in human plasma. Several experimental separation conditions using aqueous and nonaqueous media separation were tested by varying the electrolyte pH value (for aqueous medium) and the ionic strength concentration considering the similar mobility of the compounds. High-resolution separation was achieved with a mixture of 1.25 mol L−1 of phosphoric acid in acetonitrile. The quantification limits of the LLE/CE method varied between 15 and 30 ng mL−1, with a relative standard deviation (RSD) lower than 10.3%. The method was successfully applied in therapeutic drug monitoring and should be employed in the evaluation of plasma levels in urgent toxicological analysis.