Recent Biosensors for Detection of Antibiotics in Animal Derived Food

Antibiotics are extensively employed as bacteriostatic agents for fighting against microbial infection in animals. However, inappropriate doses of antibiotic drugs may result in antibiotic residues in food of animal origin and may cause various side effects on human health. Moreover, the transferor of antibiotic-resistant bacteria to humans through the food chain may induce serious health hazards. Hence, it is vital to develop sensitive and selective methods for rapid screening and regular monitoring of antibiotic residues in animal-derived foods. The conventional different chromatographic and spectroscopic techniques are time-consuming, expensive and require skilled personnel. To overcome such limitations, biosensors have emerged as an innovative approach recently and integrated with nanotechnologies for sensitive, rapid and on-site monitoring of different antibiotic residues in animal origin foods. This mini-review aims to give an overview of the currently available biosensing techniques to detect antibiotic residue in foods.