Abstract: Utilizing molecularly imprinted polymers with polyethylene glycol (MIPP) for the delivery of magnolol (MAG) and the adsorption of fumonisin B1 (FB1), a natural product delivery system was developed to achieve the dual objectives of “toxicity reduction and efficacy enhancement”. Molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) were synthesized via microemulsion polymerization. A delivery system (MAG@MIPP) capable of specifically adsorbing FB1 was constructed by loading MAG onto MIPs through hydrogen bonding interactions. The physicochemical properties of the delivery system were characterized using multiple techniques, including scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), particle size analysis, nitrogen adsorption and desorption, and computational molecular interactions. Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) was employed to evaluate the encapsulation efficiency, release profile, and adsorption capacity of the delivery system. The results showed that the average particle size of the prepared delivery system was 223 nm, and the encapsulation efficiency of 2 mg of MAG@MIPP for MAG was 45.95 μg. Under optimal conditions, it released 31.45 μg of MAG while adsorbing 2.929 μg of FB1, thereby effectively suppressing FB1-induced neurotoxicity. The MAG@MIPP nanocarrier system developed in this study enabled both the delivery of magnolol and the targeted adsorption of FB1, thus reducing the toxicity of FB1. This approach provides novel insights for the development of MIP nanocarriers for natural products.

Key words: delivery system; natural products; magnolol; molecularly imprinted polymer; fumonisin B1