Synthesis and Application of Molecularly Imprinted Polymer on Selective Solid-Phase Extraction for the Determination of Artemisinin in Artemisia Annua L.

Abstract

Molecular imprinted polymer (MIP) was prepared through thermal polymerization by using artemisinin as the template molecule, styrene as the functional monomer, ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA) as the cross-linker, and azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN) as the initiator. Evaluated by static, kinetic, and bonding capacity adsorption tests, the polymer exhibited a special selective rebinding to artemisinin. Scatchard analysis revealed that two different binding sites were formed in the polymers. The novel imprinted polymer was used as a solid-phase extraction (SPE) sorbent for the extraction of artemisinin from Artemisia annua L., followed by HPLC-UV analysis. The maximum static adsorption capacity of the artemisinin-imprinted sorbent for artemisinin was 8.46 mg g⁻¹.The application of artemisinin-imprinted polymers with high affinity and excellent selectivity toward artemisinin in SPE might offer a novel method for the enrichment and determination of the active ingredient in Chinese medicine.

Keywords:

• Artemisinin
• Molecularly imprinted polymer
• Solid-phase extraction

Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the Natural Science Foundation of Hunan Province (11JJ6010), the Hunan Provincial Education Department (10A115, 11C1203), and Xiangtan University (2011XZX07). All authors express their sincere thanks.

Notes

Experimental conditions: mobile phase, methanol - 0.01 M phosphate buffer pH 7 (45:55, v/v); flow rate, 1 mL min⁻¹; detection wavelength, 291 nm; the injection volume, 10 µL.