Efficient and relatively safe emulsification microextraction using a deep eutectic solvent for influential enrichment of trace main anti-depressant drugs from complicated samples.

In this research work, an efficient, facile, prompt, and relatively safe enrichment procedure, named as air agitated-emulsification microextraction based on a low density-deep eutectic solvent (AA-EME-LD-DES), was applied for the first time to separate trace amounts of the drugs escitalopram, desipramine, and imipramine from complex sample solutions. This bio-degradable and cheap choline chloride-based extracting agent was readily prepared by the easy blending process at the ambient temperature, resulting in a eutectic liquid mixture with distinct features. Also the subsequent usage of an effective proceeding of the current microextraction procedure without a vital requirement for a further purification was adopted as another impressive benefit. Investigation of the main parameters influencing the multivariate technique based on the central composite design (CCD) combined with the desirability function (DF) revealed that pH12.0, 200μL of the extraction solvent, 430μL of the emulsifier solvent, and 14 air agitation cycles led to maximum extraction efficiencies with the DF value close to 0.97. Under the optimal experimental conditions, the wide linear dynamic ranges (LDRs) of 10.0-5000, 15.0-8000, and 15.0-6000ngmL for escitalopram, desipramine, and imipramine were accurately obtainable, respectively, with the determination coefficients (Rs) higher than 0.98 and the low limits of detection (LODs) of 3.0-4.5ngmL. The percent extraction recoveries and enrichment factors were found to be adequately quantitative in the spans of 42-68% and 25-40, respectively, possessing good relative standard deviations (%RSDs, n=3) in the range of 3.6-5.7%. Finally, accurate analyses at therapeutically low ranges for the human plasma sample and trace levels for the pharmaceutical wastewater sample were successfully obtained, certifying the appropriate pre-concentration and enrichment capabilities of the proposed microextraction approach.