Magnetic molecularly imprinted polymer for selective extraction and untargeted monitoring of patulin and its metabolites in apple juices by UHPLC-HRMS.

Patulin is a mycotoxin commonly found in apple-derived products, posing significant risks to consumer health. In response to increasing regulatory demands and analytical challenges, this study presents a novel sample preparation strategy for the determination of patulin and its metabolites in apple juice using dispersive magnetic solid-phase microextraction with a magnetic molecularly imprinted polymer, combined with liquid chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry. The patulin-selective commercial molecularly imprinted polymer was magnetized, yielding a sorbent with high specificity and straightforward handling. The material was characterized by energy dispersive spectroscopy and field emission scanning electron microscopy, confirming successful magnetization and appropriate morphology. The method achieved excellent linearity (1-100 ng mL-1; R2 = 0.989), with detection and quantification limits of 0.32 ng mL-1 and 1.09 ng mL-1, respectively, both significantly below the maximum levels established by European legislation. Validation confirmed satisfactory trueness (96-106% recovery) and precision (RSD ≤ 7.4%). Application to ten commercial juices revealed the presence of PAT at 4.8 ± 0.4 ng mL-1 in one sample. Untargeted high resolution mass spectrometry analysis further enabled the tentative identification of hydroascladiol and ascladiol as patulin metabolites in three juices. The proposed magnetic molecularly imprinted polymer-based workflow represents a significant advancement for both regulatory monitoring and broader mycotoxin derivative screening.