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Open AccessArticle
High-Porosity Hydrogel Microneedles for Rapid and Efficient Extraction of Imidacloprid Residues in Peach Fruits
by
Chi Zhang
Chi Zhang 1,
Xin Liu
Xin Liu 1,
Tailong Cai
Tailong Cai 1,
Jianfeng Ping
Jianfeng Ping 1,2,3
and
Yibin Ying
Yibin Ying 1,2,3,*
1
Laboratory of Agricultural Information Intelligent Sensing, College of Biosystems Engineering and Food Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
2
ZJU-Hangzhou Global Scientific and Technological Innovation Center, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 311215, China
3
Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Intelligent Sensing and Robotics for Agriculture, Hangzhou 310058, China
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Foods 2025, 14(19), 3423; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods14193423 (registering DOI)
Submission received: 25 August 2025
/
Revised: 28 September 2025
/
Accepted: 29 September 2025
/
Published: 4 October 2025
Abstract
Accurate and rapid extraction of pesticide residues in fruits is crucial for timely food safety monitoring. However, conventional extraction methods remain labor-intensive and time-consuming, often requiring hours for sample preparation. Here, we present a porous hydrogel microneedle (HMN) patch integrated with an automated insertion applicator as a highly efficient platform for the rapid extraction of peach juice for imidacloprid residue detection. The HMN patch, composed of polymethyl vinyl ether/maleic anhydride (PMVE/MA) polymer, was fabricated with high porosity by adjusting the porogen content. Under optimized porogen content of 3% NaHCO3, the developed HMN patch exhibited ultrahigh extraction efficiency, achieving a 40-fold water absorption capacity and extracting 0.6% (w/w) peach solids of its weight within 5 min. The extracted juice could be readily recovered through a simple elution process and was directly compatible with both high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis and lateral flow assays. Compared with conventional destructive methods, the HMN platform offers a scalable, high-efficiency, and user-friendly solution for high-throughput pesticide extraction. The integration of the automated applicator further enhances consistency, minimizes user variability, and facilitates on-site monitoring of pesticide residues, providing a practical pathway for field-deployable food safety monitoring.
Share and Cite
MDPI and ACS Style
Zhang, C.; Liu, X.; Cai, T.; Ping, J.; Ying, Y.
High-Porosity Hydrogel Microneedles for Rapid and Efficient Extraction of Imidacloprid Residues in Peach Fruits. Foods 2025, 14, 3423.
https://doi.org/10.3390/foods14193423
AMA Style
Zhang C, Liu X, Cai T, Ping J, Ying Y.
High-Porosity Hydrogel Microneedles for Rapid and Efficient Extraction of Imidacloprid Residues in Peach Fruits. Foods. 2025; 14(19):3423.
https://doi.org/10.3390/foods14193423
Chicago/Turabian Style
Zhang, Chi, Xin Liu, Tailong Cai, Jianfeng Ping, and Yibin Ying.
2025. "High-Porosity Hydrogel Microneedles for Rapid and Efficient Extraction of Imidacloprid Residues in Peach Fruits" Foods 14, no. 19: 3423.
https://doi.org/10.3390/foods14193423
APA Style
Zhang, C., Liu, X., Cai, T., Ping, J., & Ying, Y.
(2025). High-Porosity Hydrogel Microneedles for Rapid and Efficient Extraction of Imidacloprid Residues in Peach Fruits. Foods, 14(19), 3423.
https://doi.org/10.3390/foods14193423
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