Overview of Various Components of Lateral-Flow Immunochromatography Assay for the Monitoring of Aflatoxin and Limit of Detection in Food Products: A Systematic Review

Abstract

The detection of aflatoxins is essential for the food industry to ensure the safety and quality of food products before their release to the market. The lateral-flow immunochromatography assay (LFIA) is a simple technique that allows the rapid on-site detection of aflatoxins. The purpose of this review is to evaluate and compare the limits of detection reported in the most recent research articles, published between the years of 2015 and 2023. The limits of detection (LODs) were compared against the particle type and particle size, as well as other variables, to identify trends and correlations among the parameters. A growing interest in the use of different metal and non-metal nanoparticles was observed over the years of 2015–2023. The diameters of the nanoparticles used were reportedly between 1 nm and 100 nm. Most of these particles displayed lower LODs in the range of 0.01 to 1.0 ng/mL. Furthermore, there was a significant level of interest in detecting aflatoxin B1, perhaps due to its high level of toxicity and common appearance in food products. This study also compares the use of metallic and non-metallic nanoparticles in detecting aflatoxins and the dependence of nanoparticles’ sizes on the detection range. Overall, the type of particle and particle size used in the development of LFIA strips can affect the sensitivity and LOD; hence, the optimization of these parameters and their modulation with respect to certain requirements can enhance the overall assay performance in terms of the reproducibility of results and commercialization.