Aptamer-based biosensors for biogenic amines detection

Biogenic amines (BAs) are a class of small nitrogen-containing organic compounds commonly found in various foods and are one of the common metabolic by-products in the process of food spoilage. When consumed in excessive amounts by the human body, BAs can cause a range of adverse reactions such as difficulty in breathing and palpitations, posing a serious threat to life and health. Moreover, the content of BAs is closely related to the degree of food spoilage, making them an important indicator for measuring food quality and freshness. Therefore, accurate detection of BAs is particularly important. Aptamer biosensors are becoming more and more important in the field of biosensing and show great potential. In this review, we first systematically summarized the structural characteristics, formation mechanism and potential toxicity of BAs. Then, the screening strategies and methods of biogenic amine aptamers were discussed. On this basis, we focus on the latest progress in the field of aptamer sensor technology for BAs detection in food and divide these technologies into four categories according to the detection principle: colorimetric analysis, fluorescence detection, surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) analysis and electrochemical detection. Finally, the future development direction and current challenges of biogenic amine detection strategies are introduced.