Aptamer Sensors for the Detection of Antibiotic Residues— A Mini-Review

Abstract

Food security is a global issue, since it is closely related to human health. Antibiotics play a significant role in animal husbandry owing to their desirable broad-spectrum antibacterial activity. However, irrational use of antibiotics has caused serious environmental pollution and food safety problems; thus, the on-site detection of antibiotics is in high demand in environmental analysis and food safety assessment. Aptamer-based sensors are simple to use, accurate, inexpensive, selective, and are suitable for detecting antibiotics for environmental and food safety analysis. This review summarizes the recent advances in aptamer-based electrochemical, fluorescent, and colorimetric sensors for antibiotics detection. The review focuses on the detection principles of different aptamer sensors and recent achievements in developing electrochemical, fluorescent, and colorimetric aptamer sensors. The advantages and disadvantages of different sensors, current challenges, and future trends of aptamer-based sensors are also discussed.

Design of a novel green bio-based organic–inorganic hybrid material for cost-effective and sustainable monitoring of antibiotic residues

“…Currently, macrolide antibiotics (MACs) have become the largest percentage of total usage in many countries because of their low price and broad-spectrum antibacterial effects. 11,12 Many methods for detecting antibiotics have been reported, 13–17 among which high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) has become the most commonly used analytical technique for simultaneous detection of multiple trace MACs in a complex matrix. 18 However, there are many types of food matrices, with different compositions, which affect the separation of targets, reduce detection sensitivity, and even damage analytical instruments.…”

TPN-COF@Fe-MIL-100 composite used as an electrochemical aptasensor for detection of trace tetracycline residues

“… 12 Owing to the low cost, simple synthesis, easy to chemical modification, low immunogenicity and toxicity, high stability, high affinity and specificity with the targeted analytes, various aptamer strands (Apt) have been used as recognition probe and combined with electrochemical method to construct electrochemical aptasensors, which always exhibited high sensitivity and selectivity for detection of a variety of targeted analytes with fast response. 13 In order to obtain high detection efficiency of the electrochemical aptasensors, many advanced materials with functional structures and excellent electrochemical activities were used to modify the electrode and provide more active sites for immobilization of aptamer strands and faster electron transfer between the electrode surface and the targeted analytes, including carbon nanomaterials, 14 metal/metal oxides/metal hydroxide, 15,16 quantum dots, 17 conducting polymer, 18 MXene, 19 metal–organic frameworks (MOFs), 20,21 covalent organic frameworks (COFs), 22 etc.…”

Smartphone-Addressable Paper-Based Devices for the Colorimetric Detection of Ampicillin Based on Salt-Induced Aggregation of Gold Nanoparticles

“…Aptamers are gaining increasing popularity for antibiotic detection, serving as bioreceptors in biosensors and bioassays [10][11][12][13]. Aptamers, also named "artificial enzymes", are short oligonucleotide sequences that exhibit binding affinity towards selected target analytes and have some distinct important advantages over antibodies.…”