A portable visual/electrochemical dual-mode biosensing platform for simultaneous detection of two mycotoxins

Mycotoxins pose severe health risks and contaminate food globally, but traditional detection methods face limitations in cost and complexity. To address this, a portable visual/electrochemical dual-mode biosensing platform was developed. This platform integrates a distance readout strategy and spatially resolved array electrodes, enabling the simultaneous detection of zearalenone (ZEN) and fumonisin B1 (FB1). The recognition of ZEN and FB1 by aptamers can trigger changes in impedance and voltage, which further affect the electrochemiluminescence (ECL) length. The concentrations of the two mycotoxins can be easily obtained by measuring the length. Meanwhile, the impedance change of the detection regions can be accurately quantified using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), offering a broader linear range and a lower detection limitation than visual detection. This platform combines convenient visual detection and highly sensitive electrochemical detection with a good linear range (visual mode, 0.1 ~ 300 ng·mL^-1; electrochemical mode, 0.001 ~ 300 ng·mL^-1) and a low limit of detection (visual mode, 0.069 and 0.084 ng·mL^-1; electrochemical mode, 0.37 and 0.42 pg·mL^-1). By combining the portability of visual biosensors with the precision of electrochemical analysis, this work advances field-deployable solutions for multiplex mycotoxin detection, addressing critical needs in food safety.