Development of cholesterol imprinted polymer-based interfaces as smart sensors for detection of cholesterol in clinical samples

Molecularly imprinted polymers (MIP) based on biomimetic approaches have proven their capabilities for creating highly specific receptor materials. We developed and investigated a biosensor based on MIP for the selective detection of cholesterol in synthetic media as well as in human blood sera. The surface roughness of imprinted interface increased to 4 nm as compared to non-imprinted indicating the presence of cholesterol-specific cavities. The concentration of cholesterol was related to the flow of charge across the interface of microchip. The biosensor showed a good linear relationship with the concentration of cholesterol ranging from 0.01 to 1 mM with a low limit of detection as 0.31 mM. The interface specifically recognized cholesterol three times as compared to cholecalciferol. The average clinical recovery rate of 98.81% indicates promising potential for an alternate to enzymatic biosensors for the determination of cholesterol. Graphical abstract