Fabrication of a molecularly imprinted monolithic column via the epitope approach for the selective capillary microextraction of neuropeptides in human plasma

Xiaoyun Lei; Ting Huang; Xiaoping Wu; Debby Mangelings; Ann Van Eeckhaut; Jana Bongaerts; Herman Terryn; Yvan Vander Heyden

doi:10.1016/j.talanta.2022.123397

Fabrication of a molecularly imprinted monolithic column via the epitope approach for the selective capillary microextraction of neuropeptides in human plasma

Talanta. 2022 Jun 1:243:123397. doi: 10.1016/j.talanta.2022.123397. Epub 2022 Mar 18.

Authors

Xiaoyun Lei¹, Ting Huang², Xiaoping Wu³, Debby Mangelings⁴, Ann Van Eeckhaut⁵, Jana Bongaerts⁶, Herman Terryn⁷, Yvan Vander Heyden⁸

Affiliations

¹ Key Laboratory for Analytical Science of Food Safety and Biology, College of Chemistry, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou, 350116, China; Department of Analytical Chemistry, Applied Chemometrics and Molecular Modelling, Vrije Universiteit Brussel - VUB, Brussels, Belgium.
² Key Laboratory for Analytical Science of Food Safety and Biology, College of Chemistry, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou, 350116, China.
³ Key Laboratory for Analytical Science of Food Safety and Biology, College of Chemistry, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou, 350116, China. Electronic address: wapple@fzu.edu.cn.
⁴ Department of Analytical Chemistry, Applied Chemometrics and Molecular Modelling, Vrije Universiteit Brussel - VUB, Brussels, Belgium.
⁵ Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Drug Analysis and Drug Information, Center for Neurosciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel - VUB, Brussels, Belgium.
⁶ Department of Analytical Chemistry, Applied Chemometrics and Molecular Modelling, Vrije Universiteit Brussel - VUB, Brussels, Belgium; Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Drug Analysis and Drug Information, Center for Neurosciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel - VUB, Brussels, Belgium.
⁷ Department Materials and Chemistry, Research Group Electrochemical and Surface Engineering, Vrije Universiteit Brussel - VUB, Brussels, Belgium.
⁸ Department of Analytical Chemistry, Applied Chemometrics and Molecular Modelling, Vrije Universiteit Brussel - VUB, Brussels, Belgium. Electronic address: Yvan.Vander.Heyden@vub.be.

PMID: 35325743
DOI: 10.1016/j.talanta.2022.123397

Abstract

A novel molecularly imprinted monolithic (MIM) column was designed and fabricated using the epitope approach, and was used for the selective capillary microextraction (CME) of the neuropeptides neurotensin (NT) and neuromedin N (NmN). The MIMs were synthesized in a capillary by thermally initiated polymerization of the functional monomer (methacrylic acid (MAA)), in the presence of a dummy template (Pro-Tyr-Ile-Leu (PYIL)), a crosslinker and porogens. The resulting monoliths were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, pore size distribution measurement, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Different synthesis conditions of the MIM column were investigated. The parameters affecting the MIM-CME performance, including loading, washing and elution protocols, were optimized as well. The MIMs were used to enrich NT and NmN from human plasma prior to HPLC-UV analysis. The imprinted monolith showed an excellent maximum adsorption capacity of 245-711 mg mL^-1 and selectivity (imprinting factor of 5.7-13.4) towards its target peptides. Low detection limits of 0.62 and 1.20 nM, and satisfactory recoveries (82.5-98.8%) were obtained for NT and NmN, respectively. The proposed MIM-CME/HPLC-UV method was found suitable to be used as an effective tool for the highly efficient and specific analysis of NT and NmN in human plasma samples.

Keywords: Capillary microextraction; Epitope approach; Molecularly imprinted monolithic column; Neuropeptides.

MeSH terms

Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid / methods
Epitopes
Humans
Molecular Imprinting* / methods
Neuropeptides*
Polymerization

Substances

Epitopes
Neuropeptides