Rapid and Selective Extraction and Detection of Baicalin From Scutellariae Radix Using Magnetic Molecularly Imprinted Polymers

ABSTRACT

Baicalin (BA), a key flavonoid isolated from Scutellariae Radix ( SR ), possesses diverse pharmacological activities encompassing anticancer, anti‐inflammatory, and hepatoprotective effects. In order to achieve rapid separation and enrichment of BA from complex matrix samples, core–shell magnetic molecularly imprinted polymers (MMIPs) were fabricated using BA as the template molecule and Fe ₃ O ₄ nanoparticles as the magnetic core. Subsequently, key preparation parameters, including the ratio of functional monomers to cross‐linking agents, imprinting time, and the dosage of BA were systematically optimized. Under the optimized conditions, the prepared MMIPs exhibited rapid binding kinetics and a remarkable maximum adsorption capacity of 18.21 mg/g, accompanied by an imprinting factor (IF) of 3.919. Furthermore, the developed MMIPs were successfully employed for the selective extraction and determination of BA from SR . Specifically, the average recoveries of BA at three spiked concentrations (5.00, 11.20, and 20.00 µg/mL) were 107.0%, 92.7%, and 105.2%, respectively, with corresponding relative standard deviations (RSDs) of 5.31%, 1.65%, and 3.28% ( n = 3). Overall, this work provides a novel and efficient adsorbent for trace flavonoids enrichment from complex herbal samples, offering a promising pretreatment strategy for active ingredient analysis in traditional Chinese medicine research.