New Trends in Sample Preparation for Pharmaceutical and Biological Analysis by Chromatographic Methods

Sample preparation is the rate-limiting step in the success of an analytical methodology. It is needed not only to clean–up and concentrate the sample but to avoid the matrix effect and to protect high–cost equipment from deterioration. Therefore, an appropriate sample pretreatment procedure will improve method sensitivity and selectivity and increase analyte recovery to achieve a method of high precision and accuracy that will result in an overall improvement of the performance of the analytical system. The sample preparation method should be as simple as possible, with minute sample requirements, easily automatized, and versatile enough to be coupled to different types of equipment. The new trend in this topic also considers miniaturization without sacrificing performance and embraces the principles of green and sustainable chemistry to reduce the costs and consumption of solvents and reagents, devices corrosion, and excessive disposal. This chapter will review the most recent and innovative developments in sample preparation applied to pharmaceutical, environmental, and biological analysis, bearing in mind the above–mentioned characteristics to achieve an appropriate analytical performance.