Electrochemical Nano-aptamer-based Assays for the Detection of Mycotoxins

Mycotoxins are widespread food contaminants with an acute toxicity that threatens human health and agricultural economy worldwide. One of the most effective ways to counter the threat of mycotoxins in contaminated food and crops is their early detection. In particular, the use of aptamer-mediated molecular recognition in biosensing assays aligns well with the stringent regulatory limits of mycotoxins for food safety control. More interestingly, current trends that combine aptamers with nanomaterials yield highly sensitive quantification methods for mycotoxins. This chapter covers the latest achievements in the development of electrochemical aptasensing assays for the detection of mycotoxins, with a special emphasis on nanomaterials. Therefore, emerging nanomaterials applied for weaving electrochemical nano-aptasensors during the period of 2010-2019 were inventoried. With a glimpse of the relevant research done so far, the roles of nanostructured materials in such aptasensing platforms, essentially based on carbon, metal and metal oxides, have been reviewed. Their advantages, challenges as well as future prospects have also been discussed, expecting a great progress in the effervescent field of analytical nano-aptasensing assays.