Molecularly-imprinted polymers for the separation and detection of curcumin

Curcumin, a polyphenol obtained from Curcuma longa, has been widely used in medicine due to its healing and non-toxic pharmacological properties. Recently, different methods have been proposed for the analysis (detection) of curcumin in a variety of sample matrices. Unfortunately, these methods possess poor selectivity for curcumin. However, molecularly-imprinted polymers are currently receiving considerable attention, due to their capacity to enhance both the selectivity and sensitivity when used to detect curcumin. The incorporation of molecularly-imprinted polymers using various techniques (e.g., sensors) has led to the creation of a powerful method for the analysis of chemical compounds. In this study, we first describe molecularly-imprinted polymers and their physicochemical properties. Next, we provide a summary of curcumin’s physicochemical and pharmacological properties, as well as recent detection techniques. Finally, we present and discuss different studies which have utilized molecularly-imprinted polymers for the detection and separation of curcumin. Of the various techniques we reviewed for the detection of curcumin in complex matrices, one, in particular, (i.e., using magnetic, molecularly-imprinted polymeric nanoparticles), appeared to be a very versatile and attractive method for the separation (isolation) and detection of curcumin.