Molecularly imprinted solid phase extraction of fluconazole from pharmaceutical formulations

Area of Science:

• Polymer Chemistry
• Analytical Chemistry
• Pharmaceutical Analysis

Background:

• Fluconazole is an antifungal medication requiring accurate quantification.
• Selective extraction methods are crucial for analyzing pharmaceutical samples.
• Molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) offer tailored recognition capabilities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize a molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) for selective fluconazole extraction.
• To characterize the MIP's structural and morphological properties.
• To evaluate the MIP's performance in extracting fluconazole from commercial capsule samples.

Main Methods:

• Non-covalent synthesis of MIP using methacrylic acid, ethyleneglycoldimethacrylate, and fluconazole.
• Characterization using scanning electron microscopy, infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, and BET.
• Application in solid-phase extraction (SPE) cartridges followed by UPLC-MS quantification.

Main Results:

• Successfully synthesized MIP with defined structural and morphological characteristics.
• Achieved a low limit of detection (LOD) ≤1.63×10(-10) mM for fluconazole.
• Obtained a high recovery rate of 91±10% for fluconazole extraction.
• Demonstrated high selectivity for fluconazole over structural analogues (miconazole, tioconazole, secnidazole).

Conclusions:

• The developed MIP is effective for selective and efficient extraction of fluconazole.
• The MIP-based SPE method provides a sensitive and reliable approach for pharmaceutical analysis.
• This strategy offers a promising tool for the quality control of fluconazole-containing products.