Application of a Custom-Synthesized Molecularly Imprinted Polymer for the Selective Isolation of Total Glucose and Fructose from 100% Fruit Juice Samples Prior to Instrumental Analysis

Abstract

This article presents a novel sample preparation strategy that employed a custom-synthesized glucose - fructose (G-F) specific molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) powder as an adsorbent for the simultaneous and selective extraction, isolation and pre-concentration of total glucose and fructose from the complex and `dirty` sample matrix of ‘100%’ fruit juices purchased from retail shops in Palapye, Botswana. The prepared G-F MIP powder demonstrated high selectivity, effective extraction and isolation for glucose and fructose from real samples of `100%` fruit juice samples as evidenced by the calculated high extraction efficiencies (EEs) of over 90%, with low percentage relative standard deviations (%RSD) of below 7% for n=6, for both glucose and fructose when compared to the low EEs of below 25% by the non-imprinted polymer (NIP), regarded as the control. Furthermore, the G-F MIP showed lower selectivity towards the analogous molecules; maltose and lactose as supported by the low EEs of below 31%. With the high affinity for glucose and fructose, the selective sample preparation strategy proposed herein presented itself as a potential procedure to be employed to improve the accurate analysis of adulterated artificial sugar sweeteners that are usually illegally added to the so-called `100%` fruit juices by producers to improve their taste.

Synthesis and characterization of magnetic molecularly imprinted polymers for the rapid and selective determination of clofazimine in blood plasma samples

“…SEM and BET characterization results show an increase in the surface area of MIP due to the imprinting of template molecules [ 30 ]. The large surface area is likely due to the small particle size according to the PSA analysis ( Table 4 ) and this is correlate with the research by Mukami & Batlokwa 2018, and Stevens & Batlokwa, 2017 [ 55 , 56 ], the size is small enough to be associated with an increase in surface area which results in increased sorbent capacity. The smaller the particle size, the higher the surface area.…”

Recent Advances and Future Prospects of Molecular Imprinting Polymers as a Recognition Sensing System for Food Analysis: A Review

“…Excessive free monomers have been randomly incorporated into the polymeric matrix, which could lead to heterogeneous formation or binding of non-selective sites [57]. This noncovalent strategy has been preferred in the preparation of MIPs despite the drawbacks of the MIP preparation approach, including leakage of the template molecule and heterogeneity at the binding sites [58][59]. The methodology can be easily carried out and the removal of templates could easily practice by simplifying the solvent extraction [60].…”