The use of electrochemical aptasensors for the detection of antibiotic residues in foods

Food consumption is one of the basic needs for organisms to survive. Food can be exposed to different contaminants at every stage from production to consumption. Antibiotic residues in food are one of the important problems of contamination. Antibiotics are frequently used in the production of animal products to prevent infections in animals and to ensure that animals live longer. Careless and excessive use of antibiotics can lead to residue formation in animal products such as milk, eggs and meat. In addition, antibiotic residues mixed with soil and water pass into plant and animal foods and are taken into living organisms by consuming these foods. People who consume these products are exposed to antibiotic residues, which causes the development of antibiotic resistance, one of the biggest problems in organisms today. Aptamers are oligonucleotides that can bind to many targets such as proteins, drugs or other inorganic or organic molecules with high specificity and affinity. Using the SELEX method, aptamers selected from a library suitable for the analyte to be analyzed are frequently used instead of biological materials in sensor systems. Electrochemical aptasensors are widely preferred in analysis because they offer advantages such as stability, ease of use, rapid detection, miniaturization and high specificity. This review provides a summary of the studies and researches carried out in the last 5 years on electrochemical aptasensors for the determination of antibiotic residues in foods.