New and unique methods of solid-phase extraction for use before instrumental analysis of xenobiotics in human specimens

Abstract

For forensic toxicological analysis of human specimens, extractive pretreatments are critical for successful analysis of target compounds. Nowadays, solidphase extraction (SPE) cartridges or columns packed with silica-type or polymer-type spherical particles are most widely used. In recent years, monolithic sorbent products, which have sponge-like structures, have been developed for SPE. The most significant advantage of the monolithic sorbent is that it allows very fast flow through the sorbent structure. Utilizing this property, pipette tips and spin columns packed with the monolithic sorbent have become commercially available. In this review, we present some details of SPE techniques using the monolithic pipette tips and spin columns, and discuss their advantages. The recent development of molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs), which can selectively trap target compounds and act as an SPE sorbent, is also discussed with consideration of their advantages and disadvantages in SPE.