A molecularly imprinted polymer-based electrochemical sensor for highly selective and sensitive Berberine detection in complex herbal samples

Electrochemical analytical techniques are increasingly used to determine active ingredients in traditional Chinese medicine due to their rapid response, precision, and high sensitivity. However, the specificity of electrochemical sensors in recognizing target molecules during detection has been suboptimal, limiting their broader use in the analysis of complex herbal medicine samples. To address this issue and enhance the specificity of detection, a novel electrochemical sensor was developed, utilizing molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) as the sensor's recognition element for the quantification of Berberine (BBR). Berberine molecularly imprinted polymers (BBR-MIPs) were synthesized with BBR as the template molecule, alongside acrylamide and α-methacrylic acid as bifunctional monomers, facilitating selective adsorption and detection of target molecules. Furthermore, multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) were used as sensitizing materials and carriers to modify the glassy carbon electrode (GCE). Under optimized experimental conditions, the sensor demonstrated a wide detection range (1.0 × 10⁻⁵ mg/mL ∼ 0.5 mg/mL) and a low detection limit (2.0 × 10⁻⁸ mg/mL) for BBR. The sensor was characterized by its simplicity, sensitivity, selectivity, and stability, and had been successfully applied to the detection of BBR in real Coptis chinensis Franch. samples. This provided a method with promising application prospects for the rapid quality evaluation of related Chinese medicines and enhanced the reliability of related Chinese medicines and their compound formulas in clinical applications.