Sample treatment based on solid miniaturized techniques: An effective approach for biological samples evaluation

Biological matrices analysis is normally performed by separation techniques and mass spectrometry methods. However, the presence of endogenous compounds can decrease the detection efficiency and making hard the analyte identification, especially for tracing analyte level(s) in quantitative methods. Therefore, performing a sample preparation step becomes an essential to enhance the analytical performance of the method. Traditional sample preparation techniques are based on solid-liquid or liquid-liquid extractions, usually employs a huge volume of organic solvents, increasing the risks to the analyst and the work environment. Miniaturized sample preparation techniques most often allow the extraction, exclusion of interferents, “cleaning up” and preconcentration of the analyte (s), which concerns the precepts of green analytical chemistry. This chapter aims to describe the application of solid-liquid miniaturized sample preparation techniques as approaches to clarify the complexity of biological matrices for different target analytes.