Design and fabrication of a molecularly imprinted electrochemical sensor with high sensitivity for zearalenone assessment in maize

Abstract

A highly sensitive and selective molecularly imprinted polymer-based electrochemical sensor was developed for rapid detection of zearalenone (ZEA) in maize samples. The sensor exhibited a wide linear dynamic range from 1 × 10−4 to 1 × 102 ng/mL with an impressive limit of detection of 3.4 × 10−5 ng/mL. It demonstrated excellent selectivity towards ZEA over structurally similar mycotoxins and provided accurate quantification in spiked maize extracts with recoveries ranging from 92 % to 108 % and relative standard deviations under 10 %. Comparative analysis with a conventional HPLC-fluorescence detection method revealed strong correlation (R2 = 0.982) between the two datasets. The proposed imprinted electrochemical sensing platform offers distinct advantages of simplicity, portability, cost-effectiveness, and high analytical performance, making it a promising tool for rapid on-site screening of ZEA contamination in food commodities.