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Emerging Biosensor Technology for the Detection of Environmental Toxins in...
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Emerging Biosensor Technology for the Detection of Environmental Toxins in Foods

A special issue of Foods (ISSN 2304-8158). This special issue belongs to the section "Food Toxicology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 September 2025 | Viewed by 3189

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Lin Luo

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Food Quality and Safety, College of Food Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
Interests: immunosensor; immunoassay; antibody engineering; nanobody; fluorescent sensor; biotoxin detection; food analysis
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Wenjie Ren

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
National Engineering Research Center of Wheat and Corn Further Processing, Henan University of Technology, Zhengzhou 450001, China
Interests: immunosensor; biotoxin detection; food analysis; nanobody; electrochemical aptasensor

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The growing concern over environmental toxins in the food supply has intensified the need for rapid, reliable, and sensitive detection methods. This Special Issue, entitled "Emerging Biosensor Technology for the Detection of Environmental Toxins in Foods", focuses on the latest advancements in biosensor technologies designed to address this critical challenge. We invite research that explores innovative biosensing approaches, including nanomaterial-based sensors, electrochemical biosensors, and optical biosensors, aimed at detecting various environmental toxins such as pesticides, heavy metals, and mycotoxins in food products. Contributions that cover the development of portable, cost-effective, and high-throughput biosensing platforms are particularly welcome, as they represent the future of food safety monitoring. This Special Issue seeks to bridge the gap between laboratory research and real-world application, promoting technologies that ensure food safety and public health.

Dr. Lin Luo
Dr. Wenjie Ren
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Foods is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • biosensors
  • environmental toxins
  • electrochemical sensors
  • optical sensors
  • pesticide detection
  • heavy metal detection
  • mycotoxin detection
  • portable sensing platforms

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

18 pages, 6120 KiB  
Article
A Monoclonal Antibody-Based Time-Resolved Fluorescence Microsphere Lateral Flow Immunoassay for Dinotefuran and Clothianidin Detection
by Lehong Qin, Haojie Chen, Yingxiang Nie, Mengxin Zhou, Junjun Huang and Zhili Xiao
Foods 2025, 14(7), 1174; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods14071174 - 27 Mar 2025
Viewed by 179
Abstract
Dinotefuran and clothianidin belong to the third generation of nicotinic insecticides and are widely used in crop pest control. It is necessary to detect their residues in food. The time-resolved fluorescent microspheres lateral flow immunoassay (TRFMs-LFIA) has the advantages of high sensitivity, short [...] Read more.
Dinotefuran and clothianidin belong to the third generation of nicotinic insecticides and are widely used in crop pest control. It is necessary to detect their residues in food. The time-resolved fluorescent microspheres lateral flow immunoassay (TRFMs-LFIA) has the advantages of high sensitivity, short duration, and simple operation and is suitable for rapid field testing. In this study, two haptens (FCA-1, FCA-2) were synthesized in three steps and conjugated to the carrier proteins to obtain artificial antigens, which were subsequently used for monoclonal antibody preparation. A TRFMs-LFIA based on monoclonal antibodies was established to detect dinotefuran and clothianidin residues in food. The limit of detection (LOD) for dinotefuran was 0.045 ng/mL, with an IC50 of 0.61 ng/mL and a linear range (IC20~IC80) of 0.12~3.11 ng/mL. The LOD for clothianidin was 0.11 ng/mL, with an IC50 of 0.94 ng/mL and a linear range (IC20~IC80) of 0.24~3.65 ng/mL. Cross-reactivity rates with seven tested structural analogs were less than 1.5%. The pretreatment method was optimized for wheat, cucumber, and cabbage samples, which was time-saving (20 min) and easy to operate. The average recovery rates ranged from 88.0% to 114.8%, with the corresponding coefficients of variation appearing (CV) between 1.9% and 13.5%. The results of actual wheat, cucumber, and cabbage samples detected by the established TRFMs-LFIA were consistent with those of Ultra-Performance Liquid Chromatography coupled with Tandem Mass Spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS). These results demonstrate that the established TRFMs-LFIA is sensitive, accurate, rapid, and suitable for real sample detection. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Emerging Biosensor Technology for the Detection of Environmental Toxins in Foods)
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17 pages, 1709 KiB  
Article
Portable Thiocholine-Based Sensor for Monitoring Blood Cholinesterase Activity and Detecting Organophosphate and Carbamate Pesticides Using Personal Glucose Meters
by Udomsap Jaitham, Tipsuda Pintakham, Nan Ei Moh Moh Kyi, Muhammad Samar, Peerapong Jeeno, Surat Hongsibsong, Supansa Pata and Anurak Wongta
Foods 2025, 14(7), 1136; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods14071136 - 25 Mar 2025
Viewed by 245
Abstract
The widespread use of organophosphate and carbamate pesticides in agriculture poses significant health risks due to their cholinesterase (ChE) inhibitory effects. However, existing detection methods are often expensive and require specialized facilities, limiting their accessibility. This study developed a cost-effective, portable, and sensitive [...] Read more.
The widespread use of organophosphate and carbamate pesticides in agriculture poses significant health risks due to their cholinesterase (ChE) inhibitory effects. However, existing detection methods are often expensive and require specialized facilities, limiting their accessibility. This study developed a cost-effective, portable, and sensitive sensor using personal glucose meter (PGM) technology to detect ChE activity in human blood and pesticide residues in vegetables. A thiocholine-based assay was designed to measure ChE activity via PGM, enabling the assessment of enzyme inhibition caused by pesticide exposure. The optimized PGM-based sensor achieved limits of detection (LODs) of 0.138 ppm for mevinphos and 0.113 ppm for carbofuran in standard solutions, with strong correlations (R > 0.99) between standard and fortified samples, indicating high sensitivity and accuracy. The method demonstrated reliable detection of ChE inhibition at pesticide concentrations as low as 0.05 ppm. The developed sensor offers a portable and efficient tool for point-of-care diagnostics, environmental monitoring, and food safety applications. This approach enhances public health protection by enabling accessible pesticide detection. Future work will focus on expanding detection capabilities, improving specificity and stability, and conducting clinical validation for broader applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Emerging Biosensor Technology for the Detection of Environmental Toxins in Foods)
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17 pages, 5588 KiB  
Article
Immunoglobulin Y-Based Lateral Flow Immunoassay Strip Test for Detecting Ciprofloxacin Antibiotic in Raw Pork Samples
by Sumed Yadoung, Huan-Yuan Xu, Sirikwan Dokuta, Peerapong Jeeno, Pichamon Yana, Marninphan Thongkham, Korawan Sringarm, Ryoichi Ishimatsu, Zhen-Lin Xu and Surat Hongsibsong
Foods 2025, 14(5), 818; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods14050818 - 27 Feb 2025
Viewed by 494
Abstract
Ciprofloxacin is metabolized from enrofloxacin for use in poultry to manage respiratory and gastrointestinal diseases, raising concerns due to its widespread tissue distribution and prolonged systemic persistence. This lateral flow immunoassay was designed to detect ciprofloxacin using an alternative IgY antibody binded with [...] Read more.
Ciprofloxacin is metabolized from enrofloxacin for use in poultry to manage respiratory and gastrointestinal diseases, raising concerns due to its widespread tissue distribution and prolonged systemic persistence. This lateral flow immunoassay was designed to detect ciprofloxacin using an alternative IgY antibody binded with gold nanoparticles to detect ciprofloxacin residue in raw pork meat samples. The developed strip test achieved adequate sensitivity and specificity under the optimized conditions for pH, which is 7.8, and 20% of MeOH in 0.01 M phosphate buffer containing 1% Tween-20 was used for the buffer composition. An antibody concentration of 1.25 µg/mL was used to bind with gold nanoparticles as a probe for detection. The concentration of the test line (coating antigen) and control line (anti-IgY secondary antibody) was 0.5 mg/mL and 0.2 mg/mL, respectively. The efficiency of the developed strip test showed sensitivity with a 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50) of ciprofloxacin at 7.36 µg/mL, and the limit of detection was 0.2 µg/mL. The proposed strategy exhibited potential for monitoring ciprofloxacin in raw pork samples. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Emerging Biosensor Technology for the Detection of Environmental Toxins in Foods)
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16 pages, 3679 KiB  
Article
Detection of AFB1 by Immunochromatographic Test Strips Based on Double-Probe Signal Amplification with Nanobody and Biotin–Streptavidin System
by Yifan Li, Zhenfeng Li, Baozhu Jia, Zhui Tu, Juntao Zeng, Jiarui Pang, Wenjie Ren, Zhibing Huang, Baoshan He and Zhihua Wang
Foods 2024, 13(21), 3396; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods13213396 - 25 Oct 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1261
Abstract
Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) is highly toxic and difficult to prevent. It is mainly produced by fungi and exists in plants and animals and is classified by the World Health Organization as a class I carcinogen, posing a serious threat to [...] Read more.
Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) is highly toxic and difficult to prevent. It is mainly produced by fungi and exists in plants and animals and is classified by the World Health Organization as a class I carcinogen, posing a serious threat to human and animal health. Therefore, it is important to establish an efficient, sensitive, and on-site detection method for AFB1 to protect human health. The immunochromatographic test strip method is simple, sensitive, and can achieve real-time detection. However, traditional immunochromatographic test strips have low sensitivity due to their relatively weak optical properties. In this study, Nb-G8 was biotinylated using a chemical method. Two sizes of gold nanoflowers (AuNFs) were prepared and combined with biotinylated G8 and streptavidin to form two types of probes. These probes were sprayed on gold standard pads and expanded pads, respectively, to enhance the signals through the high affinity interaction between streptavidin and biotin. Under the optimal experimental conditions, the half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) of this method was 5.0 ng/mL and the limit of detection (IC10) was 0.03 ng/mL, which increased the sensitivity of the test strip by four-fold compared with that of the traditional biotinylated nanoantibody immunochromatography test strip and had a wider detection range. In conclusion, the use of a high-affinity amplification signal between biotin and streptavidin is a valuable method for the detection of aflatoxin. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Emerging Biosensor Technology for the Detection of Environmental Toxins in Foods)
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