Mycotoxins detection in food samples through Lateral Flow Assays (LFAs)–An update for status and prospect

Mycotoxins are responsible for several diseases in human and animals which impose huge medical and economical burdens worldwide, especially in low-income countries. Therefore, many countries set regulations for maximum permissible amounts of mycotoxins in food that need detection methods to monitor the mycotoxin concentration. Conventional methods like Enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with fluorescence detection (HPLC-FLD), liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) and gas chromatography (GC) are widely used to quantitatively detection of mycotoxins. However, these methods have limitations that make them suitable for laboratories and factories, but cannot be used regularly in the daily markets. Thus, the pursuit for sensitive, specific, handheld, and low-cost methods as effective elective strategies for point-of-care testing (POCT) has gotten much consideration in recent years. POCT is one of the ultimate objectives of mycotoxin determination, so the test must be quick, particular, delicate, open, and simple to be used. In this review, after a brief introduction to mycotoxins and their importance, the common tools of mycotoxin detection and their advantages and disadvantages are discussed, then lateral flow assay (LFA) systems working principles, classifications, and their advantages as a POCT method are explained. Furthermore, some studies regarding the development of LFA in detecting several types of mycotoxins and their innovations in LFAs’ design and techniques for overcoming traditional LFAs’ limitations are comprehensively reviewed. Various strategies are utilized to extend sensitivity and give quantitative sensing. Utilizing numerous visualization strategies, utilizing distinctive labeled reporters, coordination LFA with other detection strategies to take advantage of both LFA and detection gadgets, and utilize restrictive membranes to upgrade reagent reactivity, are a few of the strategies that are examined in this literature update regarding the use of LFA in the determination of mycotoxins, which covers. the period of time from 2015 till 2023 and based on the use of data bases.