Laser Scribed Graphene Biosensor for Detection of Biogenic Amines in Food Samples Using Locally Sourced Materials.

Diana Vanegas,Carmen Gomes,Laksmi Patiño,Connie Mendez,Alba Torres,Daniela Oliveira,Eric Mclamore

doi:10.3390/bios8020042

Abstract

In foods, high levels of biogenic amines (BA) are the result of microbial metabolism that could be affected by temperatures and storage conditions. Thus, the level of BA is commonly used as an indicator of food safety and quality. This manuscript outlines the development of laser scribed graphene electrodes, with locally sourced materials, for reagent-free food safety biosensing. To fabricate the biosensors, the graphene surface was functionalized with copper microparticles and diamine oxidase, purchased from a local supermarket; and then compared to biosensors fabricated with analytical grade materials. The amperometric biosensor exhibits good electrochemical performance, with an average histamine sensitivity of 23.3 µA/mM, a lower detection limit of 11.6 µM, and a response time of 7.3 s, showing similar performance to biosensors constructed from analytical grade materials. We demonstrated the application of the biosensor by testing total BA concentration in fish paste samples subjected to fermentation with lactic acid bacteria. Biogenic amines concentrations prior to lactic acid fermentation were below the detection limit of the biosensor, while concentration after fermentation was 19.24 ± 8.21 mg histamine/kg, confirming that the sensor was selective in a complex food matrix. The low-cost, rapid, and accurate device is a promising tool for biogenic amine estimation in food samples, particularly in situations where standard laboratory techniques are unavailable, or are cost prohibitive. This biosensor can be used for screening food samples, potentially limiting food waste, while reducing chances of foodborne outbreaks.

Highlights

Food waste is a major problem across the planetary health spectrum; it is estimated that 1.3 billion tons of food is wasted each year
While most food waste occurs in developed countries, developing countries and inaccessible rural regions bear most of the global health burden for foodborne diseases [2,3,4]
While pathogenic bacteria are the primary cause of the noted disability adjusted life years (DALYs) in developing regions, small molecules and toxins are attributed to most acute toxicity cases, and are a dangerous problem for those with compromised immune systems

Summary

Introduction

Food waste is a major problem across the planetary health spectrum; it is estimated that 1.3 billion tons of food is wasted each year. This equates to a global cost of 1 trillion dollars in food loss, and a considerable waste of energy and water resources [1]. There is a critical need for the development of low-cost, rapid sensors, that can be used to accurately monitor small molecules and toxins that serve as food quality/safety indexes; such a development would provide a useful insight into the real quality and preservation conditions of food products, and as a consequence, enable risk-reduction of food waste and foodborne illnesses, in developing regions that do not have easy access to analytical laboratories [6,7,8]

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion