Recent advances in electrochemical biosensing of aflatoxin M1 in milk – A mini review
Fabian Thurner, Fatima AlZahra’a Alatraktchi
Abstract
Aflatoxin, a member of mycotoxins produced by molds, is well known for its serious health implications for humans and animals alike. The global issue of aflatoxins entering the food chain poses a public health risk that should not be underestimated. It finds its way into the food chain through a variety of routes, including contaminated animal feed into milk. Given the hazardous nature of aflatoxin, the call for rapid and reliable detection methods of the toxin in milk is more important than ever. With the advent of nanotechnology, newly emerging electrochemical biosensors can present an answer to this call. In this review, immunosensors and aptasensors, the two most commonly developed electrochemical biosensors to detect aflatoxin in milk, are summarized. Expanding and complementing existing reviews, this article provides a compelling overview over the latest developments in the field of biosensors and discusses future directions as well as challenges that remain to be addressed.