Optical sensors for determination of biogenic amines in food

Abstract

This review presents the state-of-the-art of optical sensors for determination of biogenic amines (BAs) in food by publications covering about the last 10 years. Interest in the development of rapid and preferably on-site methods for quantification of BAs is based on their important role in implementation and regulation of various physiological processes. At the same time, BAs can develop in different kinds of food by fermentation processes or microbial activity or arise due to contamination, which induces toxicological risks and food poisoning and causes serious health issues. Therefore, various optical chemosensor systems have been devised that are easy to assemble and fast responding and low-cost analytical tools. If amenable to on-site analysis, they are an attractive alternative to existing instrumental analytical methods used for BA determination in food. Hence, also portable sensor systems or dipstick sensors are described based on various probes that typically enable signal readouts such as photometry, reflectometry, luminescence, surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy, or ellipsometry. The quantification of BAs in real food samples and the design of the sensors are highlighted and the analytical figures of merit are compared. Future instrumental trends for BA sensing point to the use of cell phone-based fully automated optical evaluation and devices that could even comprise microfluidic micro total analysis systems.

Food Sensors: Challenges and Opportunities

“…[74] The occurrence of BAs in foods and analytical strategies to monitor them in foods and beverages are well discussed in an extensive review conducted by Papageorgiou et al [75] Amines are basic chemicals and can be targeted using absorbent materials functionalized with pH-responsive chemicals like the detection strategies discussed in Section 2.3 pH sensors. [56,71,76] Recent reviews discuss the many different optical [3] and electrochemical [77] sensing strategies for BAs. Recent advances have focused on the incorporation of BA sensors into materials suitable for incorporation into food packaging such as electrospun polydiacetylene nanofibers, [78] laser scribed graphene from supermarket sourced food-safe materials, [79] silicone encapsulated cellulose microparticles, [80] polymer films, [56] and paper.…”

“…They hold promise to reduce waste by improving accountability in food distribution, identifying areas of high food waste, and improving decision making during food production, distribution, and consumption. Food sensors are well documented in recent literature reviews, which discuss sensors by their type (e.g., optical sensors, [ 3 ] nanostructures, [ 4 ] aptamer‐based sensors, [ 5 ] electronic noses [ 6 ] ) and are framed by applications (e.g., intelligent packaging [ 7 ] and quality indicators [ 8 ] ). Despite the volume of academic activity, few technologies are translated into commercial products and the practical use of food sensors is still limited.…”

“…They hold promise to reduce waste by improving accountability in food distribution, identifying areas of high food waste, and improving decision making during food production, distribution, and consumption. Food sensors are well documented in recent literature reviews, which discuss sensors by their type (e.g., optical sensors, [3] nano-transducer converts the chemical recognition event into a readable signal (e.g., optical or electrical), which is then processed to display to end users in digital, visual, or other forms.…”

Synthesis of Catechol Derived Rosamine Dyes and Their Reactivity toward Biogenic Amines

“…Amines, on the other hand, are produced on the ton scale worldwide and are used in pharmaceutical, agricultural, and several industry-based applications [ 12 ]. Biogenic amines (BAs) are nitrogen-based compounds originating mainly from the decarboxylation of amino acids present in animals, microorganisms, and plants [ 13 ]. Amines can also display significant reactivities and their radical cations play a significant role in biological systems such as in the enzymatic metabolism of endogenous amines to the corresponding imines [ 14 ].…”

Dipsticks with Reflectometric Readout of an NIR Dye for Determination of Biogenic Amines

“…Those are highly selective and sensitive on the one hand but expensive, time-consuming, and require highly trained staff, on the other hand. In order to overcome these limitations, reasonably fast, low-cost, and portable chemo and biosensors are desired for rapid on-site analysis of BAs in food [13].…”