Innovative analytical approach using ’on-on++ RRS’ signal enhancement response of erythrosine B, a food dye, for nano-level quantification of sertraline drug in different matrices with sustainability evaluation

The present study introduces a sustainable and environmentally responsible method for analyzing sertraline (STL), a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) drug, emphasizing compatibility with green and white chemistry principles. A novel ultrasensitive spectrofluorimetric approach was developed, showcasing both efficiency and sustainability. This method involves a simple, single-step procedure that ensures accurate quantification of STL. A significant resonant Rayleigh scattering (RRS) enhancement was observed when STL interacted with Erythrosine B (EB), a widely used food dye, under acidic conditions. This fluorescence-based method relies on the hypothesis that the increased signal from the dye-STL complex is proportional to the molecular weight shift from 306.23 (STL) to 1186.09 (STL-EB complex), measured at 370 nm. The method demonstrated linear detection over a range of 70–1800 ng/mL with sensitivity values between 22.51 and 68.22 ng/mL. Optimized analytical conditions for the STL-EB complex adhered to International Council for Harmonisation (ICH) standards. Human plasma and urine samples were spiked with STL drug and analyzed using a validated protocol, achieving high recovery percentages of 98.59 ± 0.94 % to 101.31 ± 1.84 % in plasma and 99.25 ± 1.25 % to 100.85 ± 1.66 % in urine, demonstrating the method's precision and applicability to biofluids. Environmental assessments confirmed the method's green nature, highlighting its eco-friendly and sustainable attributes. The procedure's simplicity, reliability, and adherence to green and white analytical principles, evaluated using eco-friendly tools, yield an Analytical Eco-scale score of 95, Mo-NEMI with all green sections, AGREE score of 0.83, complex GAPI with mostly green sections, AGREEprep score of 0.71, RGB 12 score of 95, and BAGI score of 77.5, making it highly suitable for sustainability applications across various pharmaceutical matrices.