Synthesis and characterization of core-shell mussel inspired magnetic molecularly imprinted polymer nanoparticles for the solid phase extraction of levofloxacin in human plasma

Determination of pharmaceuticals in biological matrices is crucial for pharmaceutical development, toxicological studies, and therapeutic drug monitoring. Accurate quantification of drugs in plasma requires reliable analytical techniques; however, the complexity of biological fluids hinders direct analysis without an effective sample preparation step. In this study, Fe₃O₄ was synthesized using mussel-inspired magnetic molecularly imprinted polymer nanoparticles (MIP NPs) through a single-step auto-polymerization process with levofloxacin as the template and methyldopa as the monomer. The integration of Fe₃O₄ core synthesis, self-polymerization, and molecular imprinting in a single step provides a unique and streamlined methodology, reducing fabrication complexity and time. The prepared Fe₃O₄@MIP NPs were successfully applied to extract levofloxacin from spiked human plasma. UV-spectroscopy studies confirmed selective recognition, binding efficiency, and optimization of recovery conditions, achieving approximately 93.5% recovery. The Fe₃O₄@MIP NPs demonstrated significant imprinting capability and high adsorption capacity. This approach offers a novel and cost-effective platform for rapid, selective drug extraction from complex biological matrices, with direct clinical relevance for therapeutic drug monitoring of levofloxacin in multidrug-resistant tuberculosis, particularly suited for resource-limited settings.