Recent Advancements in Lateral Flow Assays for Food Mycotoxin Detection: A Review of Nanoparticle-Based Methods and Innovations
Mycotoxins are responsible for a multitude of diseases in both humans and animals, resulting in significant medical and economic burdens worldwide. Conventional detection methods, such as enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and liquid chromatogra...
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2025-07-01
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| Series: | Toxins |
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| author | Gayathree Thenuwara Perveen Akhtar Bilal Javed Baljit Singh Hugh J. Byrne Furong Tian |
| author_facet | Gayathree Thenuwara Perveen Akhtar Bilal Javed Baljit Singh Hugh J. Byrne Furong Tian |
| author_sort | Gayathree Thenuwara |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Mycotoxins are responsible for a multitude of diseases in both humans and animals, resulting in significant medical and economic burdens worldwide. Conventional detection methods, such as enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), are highly effective, but they are generally confined to laboratory settings. Consequently, there is a growing demand for point-of-care testing (POCT) solutions that are rapid, sensitive, portable, and cost-effective. Lateral flow assays (LFAs) are a pivotal technology in POCT due to their simplicity, rapidity, and ease of use. This review synthesizes data from 78 peer-reviewed studies published between 2015 and 2024, evaluating advances in nanoparticle-based LFAs for detection of singular or multiplex mycotoxin types. Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) remain the most widely used, due to their favorable optical and surface chemistry; however, significant progress has also been made with silver nanoparticles (AgNPs), magnetic nanoparticles, quantum dots (QDs), nanozymes, and hybrid nanostructures. The integration of multifunctional nanomaterials has enhanced assay sensitivity, specificity, and operational usability, with innovations including smartphone-based readers, signal amplification strategies, and supplementary technologies such as surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS). While most singular LFAs achieved moderate sensitivity (0.001–1 ng/mL), only 6% reached ultra-sensitive detection (<0.001 ng/mL), and no significant improvement was evident over time (ρ = −0.162, <i>p</i> = 0.261). In contrast, multiplex assays demonstrated clear performance gains post-2022 (ρ = −0.357, <i>p</i> = 0.0008), largely driven by system-level optimization and advanced nanomaterials. Importantly, the type of sample matrix (e.g., cereals, dairy, feed) did not significantly influence the analytical sensitivity of singular or multiplex lateral LFAs (Kruskal–Wallis <i>p</i> > 0.05), confirming the matrix-independence of these optimized platforms. While analytical challenges remain for complex targets like fumonisins and deoxynivalenol (DON), ongoing innovations in signal amplification, biorecognition chemistry, and assay standardization are driving LFAs toward becoming reliable, ultra-sensitive, and field-deployable platforms for high-throughput mycotoxin screening in global food safety surveillance. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-eb58ef32c056485bb614da886d6950c7 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2072-6651 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Toxins |
| spelling | doaj-art-eb58ef32c056485bb614da886d6950c72025-08-20T03:08:02ZengMDPI AGToxins2072-66512025-07-0117734810.3390/toxins17070348Recent Advancements in Lateral Flow Assays for Food Mycotoxin Detection: A Review of Nanoparticle-Based Methods and InnovationsGayathree Thenuwara0Perveen Akhtar1Bilal Javed2Baljit Singh3Hugh J. Byrne4Furong Tian5School of Food Science and Environmental Health, Technological University Dublin, Grangegorman, D07 ADY7 Dublin, IrelandSchool of Food Science and Environmental Health, Technological University Dublin, Grangegorman, D07 ADY7 Dublin, IrelandSchool of Food Science and Environmental Health, Technological University Dublin, Grangegorman, D07 ADY7 Dublin, IrelandSchool of Food Science and Environmental Health, Technological University Dublin, Grangegorman, D07 ADY7 Dublin, IrelandNanolab Research Centre, Physical to Life Sciences Research Hub, Technological University Dublin, Camden Row, D08 CKP1 Dublin, IrelandSchool of Food Science and Environmental Health, Technological University Dublin, Grangegorman, D07 ADY7 Dublin, IrelandMycotoxins are responsible for a multitude of diseases in both humans and animals, resulting in significant medical and economic burdens worldwide. Conventional detection methods, such as enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), are highly effective, but they are generally confined to laboratory settings. Consequently, there is a growing demand for point-of-care testing (POCT) solutions that are rapid, sensitive, portable, and cost-effective. Lateral flow assays (LFAs) are a pivotal technology in POCT due to their simplicity, rapidity, and ease of use. This review synthesizes data from 78 peer-reviewed studies published between 2015 and 2024, evaluating advances in nanoparticle-based LFAs for detection of singular or multiplex mycotoxin types. Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) remain the most widely used, due to their favorable optical and surface chemistry; however, significant progress has also been made with silver nanoparticles (AgNPs), magnetic nanoparticles, quantum dots (QDs), nanozymes, and hybrid nanostructures. The integration of multifunctional nanomaterials has enhanced assay sensitivity, specificity, and operational usability, with innovations including smartphone-based readers, signal amplification strategies, and supplementary technologies such as surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS). While most singular LFAs achieved moderate sensitivity (0.001–1 ng/mL), only 6% reached ultra-sensitive detection (<0.001 ng/mL), and no significant improvement was evident over time (ρ = −0.162, <i>p</i> = 0.261). In contrast, multiplex assays demonstrated clear performance gains post-2022 (ρ = −0.357, <i>p</i> = 0.0008), largely driven by system-level optimization and advanced nanomaterials. Importantly, the type of sample matrix (e.g., cereals, dairy, feed) did not significantly influence the analytical sensitivity of singular or multiplex lateral LFAs (Kruskal–Wallis <i>p</i> > 0.05), confirming the matrix-independence of these optimized platforms. While analytical challenges remain for complex targets like fumonisins and deoxynivalenol (DON), ongoing innovations in signal amplification, biorecognition chemistry, and assay standardization are driving LFAs toward becoming reliable, ultra-sensitive, and field-deployable platforms for high-throughput mycotoxin screening in global food safety surveillance.https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6651/17/7/348mycotoxinslateral flow assaynanoparticlessingular detectionmultiplex detectionfood safety |
| spellingShingle | Gayathree Thenuwara Perveen Akhtar Bilal Javed Baljit Singh Hugh J. Byrne Furong Tian Recent Advancements in Lateral Flow Assays for Food Mycotoxin Detection: A Review of Nanoparticle-Based Methods and Innovations Toxins mycotoxins lateral flow assay nanoparticles singular detection multiplex detection food safety |
| title | Recent Advancements in Lateral Flow Assays for Food Mycotoxin Detection: A Review of Nanoparticle-Based Methods and Innovations |
| title_full | Recent Advancements in Lateral Flow Assays for Food Mycotoxin Detection: A Review of Nanoparticle-Based Methods and Innovations |
| title_fullStr | Recent Advancements in Lateral Flow Assays for Food Mycotoxin Detection: A Review of Nanoparticle-Based Methods and Innovations |
| title_full_unstemmed | Recent Advancements in Lateral Flow Assays for Food Mycotoxin Detection: A Review of Nanoparticle-Based Methods and Innovations |
| title_short | Recent Advancements in Lateral Flow Assays for Food Mycotoxin Detection: A Review of Nanoparticle-Based Methods and Innovations |
| title_sort | recent advancements in lateral flow assays for food mycotoxin detection a review of nanoparticle based methods and innovations |
| topic | mycotoxins lateral flow assay nanoparticles singular detection multiplex detection food safety |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6651/17/7/348 |
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