Recent Progress of Metal-Organic Framework-Assisted Sensing System for Point-of-Care Antibiotics Detection in Food Industry; a Mini Review

Abstract

Antibiotics (ANBs) are essential for animal health and are used for treatment, prevention, and growth promotion. However, ANB use in animals can lead to antibiotic residue in food products, which can cause various side effects. These include the transfer of ANB-resistant bacteria to humans, immunopathological effects, allergies, and even carcinogenicity. The most significant adverse effect is the transfer of ANB-resistant bacteria to humans due to the mobile properties of resistance. Therefore, timely detection is the best approach to prevent the spread of downsides of these compounds. Various methods exist for measuring ANB concentrations, such as LC-MS, high-performance liquid chromatography, capillary electrophoresis, thin-layer chromatography, and enzyme-linked immunoassay. However, complicated sample preparation processes and expensive equipment are often considered obstacles to their prevalent usage. Emerging technologies like Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs) offer a simpler, quicker, and more cost-effective solution for detecting veterinary drugs in animal-derived food samples. This investigation first reviews some conventional methods for ANB recognition, including microbiological, immunological, and laboratory-based procedures. Then, Sensor-based analytical methods and their advantages and disadvantages were discussed. Finally, the recent progress in ANB detection approaches using MOF-based sensors in food products was investigated. MOFs have become a topic of great interest due to their remarkable properties. These include high surface areas that can be easily modified, defined porosity, lightweight, adjustable pore sizes, ordered structures, and impressive mechanical strength. The performance of MOFs is superior to traditional chemosensory materials due to their ability to adjust properties. Various sensing systems based on MOFs have been reported, including photoelectrochemical, electrochemiluminescence, electrochemical, and quartz crystal microbalance. As discussed in this review, sensors based on MOFs have emerged as reliable alternatives for fast and routine detection in clinical and environmental analysis and food safety control. Various MOF-based materials have been used for detecting antibiotics, and their advantages and limitations have been critically evaluated for future applications in diagnosing antibiotics in food products.