Biomimetic ELISA detection of malachite green based on molecularly imprinted polymer film

•MIP films on the surfaces of 96-well microplates are accurately fabricated by the oxidative polymerization of dopamine.•A novel biomimetic ELISA method is developed for the detection of malachite green using MIP films as bionic antibody.•The bionic antibody of MIP film presents favorable specificity, sensitivity and repeatability.

A highly selective and sensitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was developed for the detection of malachite green (MG) using a molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) film as bionic antibody. The MIP film, based on the self-polymerization of dopamine, was fabricated on the surfaces of a 96-well microplate. It showed specific recognition for MG in aqueous solution. A direct competitive ELISA method was established with the sensitivity reaching 10.31 μg L−1 and the detection limit being 0.3 μg L−1. The cross-reactivity of two structural analogues to MG was less than 10%. The average recovery tested by MG standard spiking was 88.8% for bass and 90.4% for water, and the relative standard deviations were less than 3.6%. All the above results indicated that the developed method could be used to detect MG in fish and water samples rapidly, specifically and accurately.