title: An innovative approach to prepare hypericin molecularly imprinted pearls using a "phyto-template".
abstract: In this paper, an innovative method that uses hypericin "phyto-template" molecules is being applied herein for the first time to produce molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) pearls able to selectively retain hypericin from Hypericum Perforatum L primary extracts. For this purpose, the wet phase inversion method was preferred for preparing the hypericin-MIP pearls for several reasons referring to economical benefits but also due to the fact that hypericin "phyto-template" molecules can be generated along with the phase inversion of the copolymer. Practically, the precursor poly(acrylonitrile-co-methacrylic acid) solution was mixed with a purified and concentrated naphtodianthrone phyto-extract (consisting only of hypericin and pseudo-hypericin). In the subsequent phase inversion step hypericin was trapped in the copolymer droplets, as a result to its poor solubility in the inversion water bath, and further served as "phyto-template" in the imprinting step. This in situ repartition of hypericin and pseudo-hypericin was sustained by HPLC-DAD chromatograms which recorded only the presence of hypericin during the extraction stage of imprinted pearls. Batch rebinding measurements, all together, validated the efficiency of this innovative imprinting procedure. The hypericin rebinding of imprinted pearls was quantitative (up to 318 µg/L) and approximately 5 times more specific relative to the blank pearls. Competitive re-binding revealed a more selective behaviour of imprinted pearls for hypericin when the up-take was measured against pseudohypericin (selectivity coefficient above 4.50).
authors.affiliation: University Politehnica of Bucharest, The Faculty of Applied Chemistry and Materials Science, Bioresources and Polymer Science Department, 1-7 Polizu, 011061 Bucharest, Romania; National Research and Development Institute for Chemistry and Petrochemistry INCDCP-ICECHIM, Advanced Polymer Materials and Polymer Recycling, 202 Splaiul Independentei, 060021 Bucharest, Romania.
authors.forename: Ana-Mihaela
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Florea
authors.affiliation: National Research and Development Institute for Chemistry and Petrochemistry INCDCP-ICECHIM, Advanced Polymer Materials and Polymer Recycling, 202 Splaiul Independentei, 060021 Bucharest, Romania.
authors.forename: Tanța-Verona
authors.initials: TV
authors.lastname: Iordache
authors.affiliation: Université de Toulon, Laboratoire MAPIEM, EA 4323, 83957 La Garde, France.
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Branger
authors.affiliation: National Research and Development Institute for Chemistry and Petrochemistry INCDCP-ICECHIM, Advanced Polymer Materials and Polymer Recycling, 202 Splaiul Independentei, 060021 Bucharest, Romania.
authors.forename: Marius
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ghiurea
authors.affiliation: University of Bucharest, Chemistry Faculty, 36-46 Mihail Kogalniceanu, 050107 Bucharest, Romania.
authors.forename: Sorin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Avramescu
authors.affiliation: University Politehnica of Bucharest, The Faculty of Applied Chemistry and Materials Science, Bioresources and Polymer Science Department, 1-7 Polizu, 011061 Bucharest, Romania.
authors.forename: Gheorghe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Hubca
authors.affiliation: National Research and Development Institute for Chemistry and Petrochemistry INCDCP-ICECHIM, Advanced Polymer Materials and Polymer Recycling, 202 Splaiul Independentei, 060021 Bucharest, Romania. Electronic address: andr.sarbu@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Andrei
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sârbu
mesh_terms: D000873:Anthracenes; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid / Q000379:methods; D020902:Hypericum; D054802:Molecular Imprinting / Q000379:methods*; D010569:Perylene / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism; D052616:Solid Phase Extraction / Q000379:methods*; D017550:Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D000873:Anthracenes; D010936:Plant Extracts; D010569:Perylene; C004965:hypericin; C056602:pseudohypericin
keywords: Hypericin; Hypericum Perforatum extract; Molecularly imprinted polymers; Phyto-template; Separation; Wet phase inversion