Antidepressants determination using an electroanalytical approach: A review of methods

Antidepressants are the pharmaceutical compounds used in the treatment of depression, anxiety disorders and all related disturbances promoted by genetic factors, environmental problems or modern lifestyles. Nonetheless, the inadequate ingestion of antidepressants provokes adverse effects in the human body and can contaminate the environment. For this reason, it is necessary to identify and quantify these compounds in biological fluids, natural water, wastewater, and pharmaceutical formulations. Consequently, this review presents the main electroanalytical techniques used in the analysis of antidepressants, indicating the advantages, which include low cost, suitable analytical parameters, simplified sample preparation steps, easy operation and reduced time for completion of the analysis. Reports in specialized literature, published from 2000 to 2020, are presented and some are discussed, demonstrating that the electroanalytical techniques can be employed, with success, in the determination of antidepressants, indicating alternative methodologies to improve analytical parameters and minimize the use and generation of toxic residues.