In-Tube Electromembrane Extraction in a Semi-Automated System as an Efficient Technique for the Sensitive Determination of Selected Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs in Complex Biological Matrices

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Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Basic Sciences, Semnan University, Semnan, Iran

2 Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Semnan University, Semnan, Iran

Abstract

Attaining efficient cleanup for the monitoring and quantification of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as diclofenac, ibuprofen, and mefenamic acid in biological samples such as hair and nails has long been a major objective in sample preparation. In this study, an efficient microextraction technique, termed semi-automated in-tube electromembrane extraction (IT-EME), was developed and introduced. The principle of this technique is based on the electrokinetic migration of ionized components under an applied voltage. In this configuration, a polypropylene (PP) sheet was placed inside a tube, and 2 μL of 1-octanol, serving as the supported liquid membrane (SLM), was used to fill the pores. In addition, 30 μL of an aqueous acceptor solution was isolated by the SLM from 1.2 mL of an aqueous donor solution which includes the studied analytes in this work. The method was used to enrich and determine several NSAIDs, including diclofenac, ibuprofen, and mefenamic acid, in diverse biological samples. High purification efficiency and simple, reproducible utilization of the organic solvent were achieved. Under optimized conditions, the developed IT-EME technique coupled with HPLC-UV provided high extraction recoveries (37.3–42.4%), good linearity (12.0–500 ng mL⁻¹), low detection limits (3.4–4.6 ng mL⁻¹), and acceptable relative standard deviations (RSDs ≤ 9.3%, n = 5) for each analyte. The proposed model exhibits exceptional potential for automation. Furthermore, the lower consumption of the organic solvent (in the range of a few microliters), the ability to quantify analytes in small sample volumes, along with its simplicity, high efficiency, and superior cleanup capability, denotes IT-EME as a promising approach in accordance with the principles of green chemistry.

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Applied Chemistry Today

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 07 June 2026

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