Cork sheet as an efficient biosorbent for forensic toxicology: Application to vitreous humor analysis.

The article focuses on the development and validation of a novel, sustainable solid phase microextraction (SPME) method using cork sheet strips as a biosorbent to extract psychoactive pharmaceuticals, including antidepressants and benzodiazepines, from vitreous humor (VH) samples for postmortem toxicology analysis. This method employs liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS-MS) and is optimized for speed, cost-efficiency, and environmental sustainability, using small VH volumes in a 96-well plate format. The validated technique demonstrated high sensitivity with limits of quantification at 5 ng/mL for 17 analytes, showing potential for automation and routine forensic application. The study highlights cork’s advantages as a biodegradable, low-cost sorbent and positions VH as a reliable alternative biological matrix less prone to postmortem changes than blood.