Advantages of Saliva Sampling in Bioanalysis Using Microextraction by Packed Sorbent and Dried Saliva Spot with LC-MS-MS

Saliva offers a fast and non-invasive sampling matrix for determining drug concentration levels, making it a suitable alternative to plasma and blood. During the analysis of biological samples attention is focused on sample pre-treatment. In addition, liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS-MS) is often the method of choice in bioanalysis because of the good selectivity and good sensitivity of the technique. In this article, two sample handling and sample preparation methods for saliva samples are presented and discussed. The first method is microextraction by packed sorbent (MEPS), and the second method is dried saliva spot (DSS). Both methods were applied for determining the presence of lidocaine in saliva.