A novel molecularly imprinted electrochemical cellular sensor for DON detection

This study developed a novel molecularly imprinted electrochemical cell sensor for ultrasensitive detection of deoxynivalenol (DON). Using o -phenylenediamine as the functional monomer and Caspase-3 as the template molecule, a molecularly imprinted polymer film was synthesized on screen-printed electrodes via electropolymerization. After elution, the sensor was integrated into a three-electrode system. Upon DON exposure, Caspase-3 released from HepG2 cells specifically binds to the imprinted cavities, altering the current response of the electrochemical indicator [Fe(CN)₆] 4−/3− . Using differential pulse voltammetry (DPV), the peak current showed a linear relationship with DON concentration from 0.2 to 100 pg/mL, with a detection limit of 0.193 pg/mL (R 2  = 0.9977). This work provides a new method for rapid DON detection in food and expands the application of molecular imprinting in mycotoxin analysis.