Recent progress, challenges and trends in trace determination of drug analysis using molecularly imprinted solid-phase microextraction technology

The quantification of drugs in biological samples is a significant task for determination of the physiological efficiency in evaluated drugs in the drug discovery. To analysis of the chemical compounds at the trace and ultratrace levels, adequate analytical procedures should be applied. Therefore, sample preparation method undoubtedly is the most important stage in the trace determination process. In spite of the great growth of analytical instrumentation during the recent years, sample preparation is still nowadays considered the impasse of the all analytical procedure, especially in drugs analysis. Because of the low concentration level of drugs in blood, plasma, and the diversity of the metabolites, the chosen extraction technique should be almost perfect. Solid-phase microextraction (SPME) is a powerful, simple, fast and an equilibrium-based sample preparation method that permits integration of sampling, sample clean-up, and pre-concentration in a single solvent-free step for chemical analysis. Molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) that provided by the presence of a template during their synthesis are the stable polymers with molecular recognition abilities and excellent materials which provide selectivity to sample preparation. Because of its characteristics such as easy preparation, high selectivity, and chemical stability, MIP is widely utilized in many analytical fields. Accordingly, the molecular imprinting and SPME methods combination would prepare a strong analytical instrumentation which comprises simplicity, flexibility, and the selectivity characteristics of both methods. This review focuses on the application of solid-phase microextraction method coupled with molecularly imprinted polymers, namely molecularly imprinted solid-phase microextraction (MISPME), for trace determination in drug analysis.