Liquid Chromatography and Electrochemical Mass Spectrometry Based Detection of Vilazodone from Biological Matrices

Despite being a commonly prescribed psychiatric medication, antidepressants are frequently subject to misuse. The advancement of analytical techniques has led to the development of various strategies for extracting antidepressants from complex biological matrices. However, these methods are still in the early stages and require further research and refinement, especially in matrices relevant to clinical and forensic applications. This study aimed to optimize the parameters for utilizing tandem mass spectrometry and liquid chromatography in the analysis of biological samples for serotonin modulator antidepressants. Vilazodone, a specific antidepressant, was quantified using liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry with electrospray ionization in positive mode, incorporating a modified QuEChERS extraction method. The quantification and detection limits of Vilazodone were established to be within the ranges of 0.221–14.28 ng/mL and 0.670–43.26 ng/mL, respectively. This study also demonstrated a high recovery rate (>75%) for the extraction of Vilazodone from various biological matrices, indicating its efficiency. The method used in this study is advantageous due to its reduced solvent consumption and waste generation, making it environment friendly.