Electrospun nanofiber-based platforms for mycotoxins sensing: Recent advances and future directions

Mycotoxins, as toxic secondary metabolites produced by various fungi, represent widespread contaminants in global agricultural products, raw materials, and resulting food and feed supplies. Consequently, the necessity for their sensitive and rapid detection has been steadily escalating to ensure food safety. Among advanced sensing platforms for mycotoxins, electrospun nanofibers (ESNFs) are recognized as a promising option, primarily due to their high surface area, tunable porosity, and functionalization potential. This article reviews recent advancements in ESNF-based sensing techniques for mycotoxin detection. Specifically, the practical utility of ESNF systems has been explored across electrochemical, optical, and quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) platforms. The performance of these covered platforms is assessed and evaluated based on key quality assurance parameters (e.g., LOD, linear detection range, response time, reproducibility, and reusability). Interestingly, Ti₃C₂T_x MXene/PVDF nanocomposite-based electrochemical aptasensor is found to be the most sensitive system, achieving an ultralow LOD of 2.15 × 10^-6 ng mL^-1 for the detection of Ochratoxin A. Moreover, studies on ESNFs-based extraction followed by sensing of mycotoxins are also covered.