SOLID-PHASE EXTRACTION FOR THE DETERMINATION OF TRICYCLIC ANTIDEPRESSANTS IN SERUM USING A NOVEL POLYMERIC EXTRACTION SORBENT

A fast and easy solid-phase extraction method was developed for the de termination of amitriptyline, doxepin and their metabolites (nortripty line and nordoxepin) in porcine serum matrix by high performance liqui d chromatography. The spiked serum sample was pretreated with 2% phosp horic acid followed by a simple and rugged SPE procedure using Oasis(T M) HLB extraction cartridges. The SPE method requires only one mt of s imple solvent throughout the entire SPE process. High and reproducible recoveries were obtained even though the cartridges ran dry. For five replicate analyses, the average recoveries of parent tricyclic antide pressants and their metabolites were all greater than 94%, and the RSD s were all less than 4.0%.