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A rapid, selective, and sensitive ultra-fast liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry method was developed for the determination of ochratoxin A in traditional Chinese medicines based on vortex-assisted solid-liquid microextraction and aptamer-affinity column clean-up. Through optimizing the sample pretreatment procedures and chromatographic conditions, good linearity (r(2) ≥ 0.9993), low limit of detection (0.5-0.8 μg/kg), and satisfactory recovery (83.54-94.44%) expressed the good reliability and applicability of the established method in various traditional Chinese medicines. Moreover, the aptamer-affinity column, prepared in-house, showed an excellent feasibility owing to its specific identification of ochratoxin A in various kinds of selected traditional Chinese medicines. The maximum adsorption amount and applicability value were 188.96 ± 10.56 ng and 72.3%, respectively. The matrix effects were effectively eliminated, especially for m/z 404.2→358.0 of ochratoxin A. The application of the developed method for screening the natural contamination levels of ochratoxin A in 25 random traditional Chinese medicines on the market in China indicated that only eight samples were contaminated with low levels below the legal limit (5.0 μg/kg) set by the European Union. This study provided a preferred choice for the rapid and accurate monitoring of ochratoxin A in complex matrices.

A novel self-assembling aptasensor was fabricated by precisely attaching three phosphorothioate-modified capture aptamers onto a single thick-shell quantum dot in a controllable manner for monitoring of ochratoxin A (OTA), a poisonous contaminant widespread in foodstuffs. Herein, CdSe/CdS QDs coated in ten layer CdS shells were synthesized using a continual precursor injection method. Analysis of the prepared CdSe/CdS QDs showed a zinc-blende structure, high photoluminescence quantum yields (>80%), and a photoemission peak with a narrow full-width at half-maximum (about 29 nm), all qualities that render them as a superior choice for optical applications. By adjusting the number of phosphorothioate bases in the anchor domain, the tunable-valency aptasensor was able to self-assemble. In the sensing strategy, the thick-shell quantum dot was provided as an acceptor while OTA itself was used as a donor. In the presence of OTA, the capture aptamers drive the aptasensor function into a measurable signal through a fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) system. The newly developed aptasensor had a detection limit as low as 0.5 ng mL(-1), with a linear concentration in the range of 1 to 30 ng mL(-1), and therefore meets the requirements for rapid, effective, and anti-interference sensors for real-world applications. Moreover, the high quality thick-shell QDs provide an ideal alternative for highly sensitive imaging and intensive illumination in the fields of biotechnology and bioengineering.