The high-throughput and high-sensitivity strategies of multiplex lateral flow immunoassays for agricultural product contaminants

Effective detection of agricultural pollutants in complex matrices is crucial for food safety. Lateral flow immunoassay (LFIA) is a vital onsite tool due to its simplicity, portability, low cost, and rapid detection. However, the efficiency and sensitivity of the conventional single-target detection mode limits its utility for detecting multiple contaminants in complex agricultural matrices. High-throughput and sensitive multiplex lateral flow immunoassay (MLFIA) technologies have become mainstream in agricultural product safety inspection. This review highlights four high-throughput formats of MLFIA—single-line multicolor, multiline, multiplex, and microarray methods—and their suitability for multianalyte detection. Furthermore, a range of high-sensitivity signal transduction methods, colorimetric, fluorescent, surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS), and magnetic nanoparticle-based systems, have been evaluated for adaptability to complex scenarios. The limitations, challenges and future development trends of MLFIA are proposed, with the goal of providing useful references for researchers to promote the rapid development and practical application of MLFIA in multiple agricultural fields.