SYNTHESIS AND EVALUATION OF MOLECULARLY IMPRINTED POLYMERS AS SORBENTS OF MONILIFORMIN

Authors: Appell, Michael; Kendra, David; KIM, EUN KYUNG - FORMER USDA POST DOC; Maragos, Chris

Submitted to: Journal of Food Additives & Contaminants
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/22/2006
Publication Date: 1/1/2007
Citation: Appell, M.D., Kendra, D.F., Kim, E., Maragos, C.M. 2007. Synthesis and evaluation of molecularly imprinted polymers as sorbents of moniliformin. Journal of Food Additives & Contaminants. 24(1):43-52.

Interpretive Summary: Moniliformin is an important mycotoxin that has world-wide potential to contaminate cereal grains, including maize. Moniliformin contamination has been shown to cause death, reduced food intake, and weight loss in animals, which has led to the development of several traditional methods of detection for moniliformin. There is a need for the development of new materials to recognize moniliformin at the molecular level through a binding mechanism and anti-moniliformin antibodies do not currently exist. To address this issue, we have synthesized molecularly imprinted polymers that possess binding sites capable of binding moniliformin. Moniliformin binding sites were imprinted in the polymer during polymer synthesis with toxin analogs. To our knowledge this is the first report of this nature for a molecularly imprinted polymer that has been designed to bind a mycotoxin for which antibodies do not exist. The moniliformin absorption properties of these polymers have potential application in the development of new methods of detection of moniliformin or to remove moniliformin from selected liquids.

Technical Abstract: Moniliformin is a low molecular weight mycotoxin that has world-wide potential to contaminate cereal grains. Although several traditional methods have been developed to detect moniliformin, the lack of anti-moniliformin antibodies has created a need for materials that recognize moniliformin at the molecular level through a binding mechanism. To address this issue, we have synthesized molecularly imprinted polymers that bind moniliformin. Imprinted and non-imprinted polymers were evaluated by equilibrium binding assays and moniliformin concentrations were measured by LC-analysis using UV-detection. Successful polymers were imprinted with toxin analogs as the templates, and non-imprinted polymers exhibited minimal binding in acetonitrile under the assay conditions. Selected imprinted polymers also bound moniliformin in ethanol. Significant differences in moniliformin binding by the polymers were dependent on polymer composition, and these differences were highly dependent on the template used to imprint the polymer.