Abstract
A molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) capable of recognizing five tetracyclines using minocycline as the template was synthesized for the first time. The MIP was employed as the recognition reagent to prepare a chemiluminescence sensor on a conventional microtiter plate. The light signal was initiated using the highly efficient bis(2,4,6-trichlorophenyl) oxalate-hydrogen peroxide-imidazole chemiluminescence system. After optimization of several appropriate factors, the sensor was employed to determine five tetracyclines in milk. The developed assay contained only one sample-loading step, so each measurement was completed within 12 min. The limits of detection for these analytes were in the range from 0.5 to 2.0 pg/mL, while the recoveries from the fortified milk samples were between 78.1 and 105%. In addition, the sensor was shown to be reusable for up to four measurements. Hence, this sensor has been demonstrated to be a simple, rapid, sensitive, and durable tool for the determination of tetracyclines in animal-derived food.