Separation and purification of the antioxidant compounds, caffeic acid phenethyl ester and caffeic acid from mushrooms by molecularly imprinted polymer

► A novel method to screen the active compounds from the natural products was provided. ► The molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) was synthesized by CAPE as the template. ► The MIP could be used for the enrichment of CAPE and CA from the mushrooms. ► The extracts after MIP could increase the inhibition of erythrocyte hemolysis. Caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE) and caffeic acid (CA), two naturally occurring phenolic antioxidants, have been reported to have a diversity of biological activities. In this investigation, a novel approach to separate and enrich CAPE and CA from 25 species of mushrooms using molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) as the sorbent material is reported. The MIPs were synthesized using CAPE as the template, and its adsorption behavior was investigated in detail. In comparison with C18-solid phase extraction (SPE), MIP–SPE displayed high selectivity and good affinity for CAPE and CA. The antioxidant potential of the mushroom extracts, before and after preconcentration using MIPs, was assayed by inhibition of erythrocyte hemolysis and lipid peroxidation. Application of MIPs with a high affinity toward CAPE and CA provides a novel method for obtaining active compounds from natural products.