Chromatographic separation for domoic acid using a fragment imprinted polymer Original Research Article

We prepared molecularly imprinted polymers for an amnesic shellfish poison, domoic acid. To prepare the polymer, we tested several commercial aromatic dicarboxylic compounds such as isomers of phthalic acid for templates of molecularly imprinted polymers. The highest selective recognition ability of the polymer for domoic acid in the tested compounds was found when o-phthalic acid was used as the template. The ability was due to the acidity of the carboxylic acids in the domoic acid and the similarity of the shape around the carboxylic acids of domoic acid and the templates. The effective chromatographic separation of domoic acid in the extract from blue mussels was achieved with a LC column packed with the fragment imprinted polymer using o-phthalic acid as the template. This polymer can be utilized for a clean up procedure of domoic acid in toxic shellfish.