Selective Recognition of Myoglobin in Biological Samples Using Molecularly Imprinted Polymer-Based Affinity Traps

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Analytical Chemistry
• Biochemistry

Background:

• Myoglobin is a key biomarker for diagnosing myocardial infarction.
• Selective and sensitive detection of myoglobin in complex biological matrices like serum remains challenging.
• Molecular imprinting offers a promising approach for creating recognition materials for specific analytes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design, characterize, and prepare molecularly imprinted microspheres (MIMs) for the selective detection of myoglobin.
• To optimize the preparation conditions for enhanced myoglobin binding.
• To evaluate the selectivity of the MIMs against other proteins commonly found in serum.

Main Methods:

• Suspension polymerization was employed to synthesize myoglobin MIMs.
• N-methacryloylamino folic acid-Nd3+ (MAFol-Nd3+) was used as the functional monomer.
• Optimization involved varying medium pH, temperature, and myoglobin concentration.

Main Results:

• The optimal medium pH for myoglobin imprinting was determined to be 7.0.
• The prepared MIMs exhibited a maximum binding capacity of 623 mg/g for myoglobin.
• The MIMs demonstrated excellent selectivity, effectively distinguishing myoglobin from hemoglobin, cytochrome c, and lysozyme.

Conclusions:

• Molecularly imprinted microspheres using NAFol-Nd3+ are effective for selective myoglobin detection.
• The optimized conditions yield MIMs with high binding capacity and specificity.
• These MIMs show potential for developing sensitive diagnostic tools for myoglobin-related conditions.