Microfluidic paper-based analytical devices and miniaturized systems to detect sugar adulteration in honey: A mini-review

Abstract

Honey is a natural sweetener widely used in food products and as a daily dietary ingredient, providing a valuable source of carbohydrates, energy, and medicinal properties. However, the increasing demand for honey has led to its adulteration with various sugar syrups. Ensuring honey authentication is crucial for maintaining consumer confidence and for developing sensitive, accurate, rapid, and cost-effective methods for the frequent and convenient detection of adulterants. Microfluidic paper-based analytical devices (µPADs) and miniaturized detection systems not only fulfill these requirements but also offer advantages such as simplicity, portability, minimal use of reagents and materials, and accessibility compared to traditional methods. These tools facilitate rapid, on-site analysis, thereby obviating the need for costly laboratory techniques such as high-performance liquid chromatography or gas chromatography. This article reviews and summarizes recent advancements in the detection of sugar adulteration in honey using µPADs and miniaturized detection systems. The future prospects of these tools are discussed, as they are expected to become more accurate, adaptable, and applicable across various domains.