Matrine- and oxymatrine-imprinted monodisperse polymers prepared by precipitation polymerization and their applications for the selective extraction of matrine-type alkaloids from Sophora flavescens Aiton

Matrine (MT)- and oxymatrine (OMT)-imprinted monodisperse polymers have been prepared by precipitation polymerization. The prepared molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) for MT and OMT, MIPMT and MIPOMT, were monodispersed microspheres of 3.3 and 3.9 μm in diameter, respectively. Binding experiments and Scatchard analyses revealed that two classes of binding sites were formed on MIPMT and MIPOMT. In addition to shape recognition, ionic and hydrophobic interactions seemed to affect the retention and recognition of MT and OMT on MIPMT and MIPOMT, respectively, in low acetonitrile content, and ionic and hydrophilic interactions affected these properties in high acetonitrile content. MIPMT was used to selectively extract MT and sophocarpine (13,14-dehydromatrine) from Sophora flavescens root, while MIPOMT was used to extract OMT and oxysophocarpine (13,14-dehydrooxymatrine).

► Monodispersed MIPs for matrine and oxymatrine by precipitation polymerization.
► Selective recognition of matrine and sophocarpine by a matrine-MIP.
► Selective recognition of oxymatrine and oxysophocarpine by an oxymatrine-MIP.
► Extraction of matrine and sophocarpine in Sophora root by a matrine-MIP.
► Extraction of oxymatrine and oxysophocarpine in Sophora root by an oxymatrine-MIP.