Recent Progress in Nanomaterial-Based Optical Aptamer Assay for the Detection of Food Chemical Contaminants.

Food chemical contaminants are a major factor in the cause of foodborne diseases and can do harm to human health. Hence, it is highly desirable to develop robust, easy, and sensitive methods for rapid evaluation of food chemical contaminants. Nanomaterial-based optical aptasensors combined with the advantages of the high selectivity of optical detection techniques, excellent stability of aptamer, and the unique properties of nanomaterials have been recognized as useful tools for routine biosensing applications. The recent progress in nanomaterial-based optical aptamer assays to determine food chemical contaminants including heavy metals, toxins, pesticides, and antibiotics are presented in this paper. Furthermore, the major challenges and future prospects in this field are discussed to provide ideas for further research.