Development and Application of a Rapid Detection Technique for 2-Amino-1-methyl-6-phenyl-imidazo [4,5-b] Pyridine in Meat Products Based on Hydrogel-Molecular-Imprinting Electrochemical Sensing Technology

2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenyl-imidazo [4,5-b] pyridine (PhIP) is a harmful compound that is formed during the high-temperature processing of meat products, and the risk of cancer may be increased with the prolonged intake of foods containing high levels of PhIP. This study aimed to develop an innovative detection method specifically for PhIP in meat products. Utilizing hydrogel-molecular-imprinting electrochemical sensing technology, the preparation conditions of molecularly imprinted hydrogels (MIHs) were optimized. Consequently, a highly selective and rapid detection method for PhIP was successfully established, integrated with an electrochemical workstation. The results indicate that the prepared MIHs exhibit an excellent specific recognition performance for PhIP. The sensor exhibited a linear response within the concentration range of 1.0-200.0 ng/mL, with a detection limit of 0.07 ng/mL (S/N = 3) under optimized conditions. In addition, the accuracy and reliability of the method were verified by spiked recovery experiments, and the recoveries ranged from 75.9% to 108.8%, which demonstrated its high accuracy and potential for practical application.