Department of Inorganic Chemistry, Physical Chemistry and Electrochemistry, Faculty of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnologies, National University of Science and Technology POLITEHNICA Bucharest, 1-7 Gh. Polizu St., District 1, 011061 Bucharest, Romania.
National Institute of Materials Physics, Atomistilor 405A, 077125 Magurele, Romania.
Int J Mol Sci. 2024 Mar 29;25(7):3822. doi: 10.3390/ijms25073822.
Antidepressant drugs play a crucial role in the treatment of mental health disorders, but their efficacy and safety can be compromised by drug degradation. Recent reports point to several drugs found in concentrations ranging from the limit of detection (LOD) to hundreds of ng/L in wastewater plants around the globe; hence, antidepressants can be considered emerging pollutants with potential consequences for human health and wellbeing. Understanding and implementing effective degradation strategies are essential not only to ensure the stability and potency of these medications but also for their safe disposal in line with current environment remediation goals. This review provides an overview of degradation pathways for amitriptyline, a typical tricyclic antidepressant drug, by exploring chemical routes such as oxidation, hydrolysis, and photodegradation. Connex issues such as stability-enhancing approaches through formulation and packaging considerations, regulatory guidelines, and quality control measures are also briefly noted. Specific case studies of amitriptyline degradation pathways forecast the future perspectives and challenges in this field, helping researchers and pharmaceutical manufacturers to provide guidelines for the most effective degradation pathways employed for minimal environmental impact.
抗抑郁药在治疗心理健康障碍方面起着至关重要的作用，但药物降解会影响其疗效和安全性。最近的报告指出，在全球各地的污水处理厂中，发现了几种浓度范围从检测限（LOD）到数百纳克/升的药物；因此，抗抑郁药可以被认为是具有潜在人类健康和福祉影响的新兴污染物。了解和实施有效的降解策略不仅对于确保这些药物的稳定性和效力至关重要，而且对于按照当前环境修复目标安全处置这些药物也至关重要。本综述通过探索氧化、水解和光降解等化学途径，概述了阿米替林（一种典型的三环类抗抑郁药）的降解途径。还简要提到了通过配方和包装考虑、监管指南和质量控制措施来增强稳定性的相关问题。阿米替林降解途径的具体案例研究预测了该领域的未来展望和挑战，帮助研究人员和制药商为最小化环境影响而采用的最有效降解途径提供指导。
