Perspective and application of molecular imprinting approach for antibiotic detection in food and environmental samples: A critical review

The food and environmental samples contaminated with antibiotic residues poses drastic risk to human health. It is believed that the continuous use of destructive chemicals cause numerous health problems including allergic reaction, hypertension, temporary loss of vision, headache, muscles pain, and serious hormonal dysfunction. The presence of antibiotics in food and environmental samples has imposed to look for several facile, cost effective and selective analytical tools to detect them at trace level. Molecular imprinting of polymer (MIP) is an artificial recognition technique for selective and specific detection of template molecule from real samples. MIPs are upcoming robust technique that may help in detection of antibiotics without any pre-treatment of samples. Modern MIPs technique has the sensitivity to detect and quantify the antibiotics residues in food and environmental samples because of their predetermined shape and selectivity, sensitivity, easy handling, low cost and recyclability. The review gives an overview about the classification of antibiotics and excessive use of antibiotics to contaminate food. It gives an overview of the health effect of contaminated food, environmental samples and applications of different approaches of molecular imprinting techniques used for detection and isolation of antibiotics in these samples. It also briefs the different methodology adapted for polymer matrix used in MIP and their efficiencies.y