Food poisoning is caused by eating contaminated Food. Common pathogens include Salmonella, Campylobacter, Escherichia coli, Listeria, Vibrio, Staphylococcus aureus, and Clostridium perfringens. Histamine is produced by bacteria in food and can cause scombroid poisoning and allergy responses in humans. Although the exact mechanism is unclear, high levels of histamine in urine samples from food poisoning patients indicate its role in the illness. Symptoms of histamine poisoning are mild and can be mistaken for other gastrointestinal problems. A sunburn-like rash on the face and neck is a definitive marker for diagnosis. Severe cases can lead to respiratory distress and shock.
To identify the level of histamine and its correlation with bacterial contamination in food, histamine extraction is necessary. Traditional extraction methods like solid-liquid extraction or solid phase/liquid-liquid extraction have disadvantages such as tedious steps, large sample volumes, and environmental pollution. High-performance liquid chromatography, liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry, absorbance, and fluorescence are common methods for histamine detection. Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy and ELISA have also been researched. However, these methods have drawbacks such as the need for special equipment, delayed response time, and difficulties in miniaturization.
Due to strict regulations on histamine concentration in food products, Electrochemical Sensors have become an alternative to expensive and specialized equipment. Electrochemical sensors establish a direct connection between the current response and the analyte (histamine) by recording oxidation and reduction processes during a redox reaction. Different types of sensors have been explored, using various materials such as p-aminobenzene sulfonic acid, Au-nanoparticles, zinc complexes, DNA, metal-organic frameworks, graphene, and horseradish peroxidase. These sensors offer advantages like on-site evaluation of samples and a wide detection range. Graphene-based sensors have proven to be effective due to their stability, conductivity, and sensitivity.
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