Selective Extraction and Determination of Citrinin in Rye Samples by a Molecularly Imprinted Polymer (MIP) Using Reversible Addition Fragmentation Chain Transfer Precipitation Polymerization (RAFTPP) with High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) Detection

Magnetic Molecularly Imprinted Polymers with Hydrophilic Shells for the Selective Enrichment and Detection of Rosmarinic Acid in Aqueous Extraction

Rosmarinic acid (RA) is a natural active compound widely found in many plants belonging to the family of Lamiaceae, Boraginaceae, and so on, which has various important bioactivities, including being anti-oxidative, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, etc. Herein, novel hydrophilic magnetic molecularly imprinted polymers (HMMIPs) with a regular core-shell structure were successfully developed using RA as a template molecule, acrylamide (AM) as a functional monomer, N-N 'methylenebisacrylamide (MBA) as a cross-linking agent, and water as the porogen. After a series of characterization and adsorption performance analyses, it was found that HMMIPs are hydrophilic with an adsorption capacity of 8.012 ± 0.54 mg/g, an imprinting factor of 3.64, and a selectivity coefficient of 2.63~2.91. Furthermore, the HMMIPs can be rapidly separated from other components under the influence of external magnetic fields. The HMMIPs were employed for the determination of RA present in the Perilla frutescens and Rosmarinus officinalis aqueous extract with recoveries of 88.2~107.3%. These results indicated that HMMIPs of RA have the benefits of straightforward operation, rapid adsorption, and high selectivity, rendering it an appropriate way for the expedient and selective isolation of RA in an intricate matrix.

Mycotoxins-Imprinted Polymers: A State-of-the-Art Review

Mycotoxins are toxic metabolites of molds which can contaminate food and beverages. Because of their acute and chronic toxicity, they can have harmful effects when ingested or inhaled, posing severe risks to human health. Contemporary analytical methods have the sensitivity required for contamination detection and quantification, but the direct application of these methods on real samples is not straightforward because of matrix complexity, and clean-up and preconcentration steps are needed, more and more requiring the application of highly selective solid-phase extraction materials. Molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) are artificial receptors mimicking the natural antibodies that are increasingly being used as a solid phase in extraction methods where selectivity towards target analytes is mandatory. In this review, the state-of-the-art about molecularly imprinted polymers as solid-phase extraction materials in mycotoxin contamination analysis will be discussed, with particular attention paid to the use of mimic molecules in the synthesis of mycotoxin-imprinted materials, to the application of these materials to food real samples, and to the development of advanced extraction methods involving molecular imprinting technology.

Bio-Inspired Imprinting Materials for Biomedical Applications

Inspired by the recognition mechanism of biological molecules, molecular imprinting techniques (MITs) are imparted with numerous merits like excellent stability, recognition specificity, adsorption properties, and easy synthesis processes, and thus broaden the avenues for convenient fabrication protocol of bio-inspired molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) with desirable functions to satisfy the extensive demands of biomedical applications. Herein, the recent research progress made with respect to bio-inspired imprinting materials is discussed in this review. First, the underlying mechanism and basic components of a typical molecular imprinting procedure are briefly explored. Then, emphasis is put on the introduction of diverse MITs and novel bio-inspired imprinting materials. Following these two sections, practical applications of MIPs in the field of biomedical science are focused on. Last but not least, perspectives on the remaining challenges and future development of bio-inspired imprinting materials are presented.

Mycotoxins detection: view in the lens of molecularly imprinted polymer and nanoparticles

Molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) are tailor-made functional composites which selectively recognize and bind the target molecule of interest. MIP composites are products of the massively cross-linked polymer matrices, generated via polymerization, with bio-inspired recognition cavities that are morphologically similar in size, shape and spatial patterns to the target conformation. These features have enabled researchers to expand the field of molecular recognition, more specifically for target with peculiar requirements. Nevertheless, MIPs alone are characterized with weak sensitivity. Besides, nanoparticles (NPs) are remarkably sensitive but also suffer from poor selectivity. Intriguingly, the combination of the two results in a highly sensitive and selective MIP composite. For instance, the conjugation of different functional NPs with MIPs can generate new flexible target capture tools, either a dynamic sensor or a novel drug delivery system. In this regard, although the technology is considered an established and feasible approach, it is still perceived as a burgeoning technology for various fields, which makes it unceasingly worthy reviewing. Therefore, in this review, we attempt to give an update on various custom-made biosensors based on MIPs in combination with various NPs for the detection of mycotoxins, the toxic secondary metabolites of fungi. We first summarize the classification, prevalence, and toxicological characteristics of common mycotoxins. Next, we provide an overview of MIP composites and their characterization, and then segment the role of NPs with respect to common types of MIP-based sensors. At last, conclusions and outlook are discussed.

Customizable molecular recognition: advancements in design, synthesis, and application of molecularly imprinted polymers

Molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) are unlocking the door to synthetic materials that are capable of molecular recognition.