DESIGN STRATEGIES FOR MULTI-MYCOTOXIN ANALYSIS: A FOCUS ON ELECTROCHEMICAL BIOSENSOR APPROACH

Abstract

The co-occurrence of multiple mycotoxins in agricultural commodities, particularly grain corn and animal feed, has emerged as a significant food and feed safety concern. Multi-mycotoxin contamination not only exacerbates toxicological risks to animals and humans but also leads to substantial economic losses when contaminated products exceed regulatory maximum residue limits (MRLs) and are rejected from the market. Conventional analytical methods, while highly sensitive, remain laboratory-bound, costly, and insufficient for rapid, on-site multiplex monitoring. These limitations have accelerated the transition from single-analyte detection toward integrated multi-mycotoxin analysis platforms. This review critically examines design strategies for multi-mycotoxin detection with a specific focus on electrochemical biosensor approaches. Key considerations discussed include the selection and engineering of biorecognition elements (antibodies, nanobodies, aptamers, and molecularly imprinted polymers), signal amplification using nanomaterials, assay formats suitable for small-molecule toxins, and transducer configurations enabling multiplexed readout. The integration of electrochemical sensing with portable devices, microfluidics, and intelligent data processing is also evaluated in the context of field deployment. Overall, electrochemical biosensors demonstrate strong potential for sensitive, cost-effective, and miniaturized multi-mycotoxin detection system. However, challenges related to extraction compatibility, cross-reactivity, reproducibility, and regulatory validation remain critical barriers to commercialization. Strategic design optimization and standardization efforts will be essential to translate laboratory-scale multiplex biosensors into robust point-of-need monitoring systems.