Metallic and Metal Oxides Nanoparticles for Sensing Food Pathogens-An Overview of Recent Findings and Future Prospects

Nowadays, special importance is given to quality control and food safety. Food quality currently creates significant problems for the industry and implicitly for consumers and society. The effects materialize in economic losses, alterations of the quality and organoleptic properties of the commercial products, and, last but not least, they constitute risk factors for the consumer's health. In this context, the development of analytical systems for the rapid determination of the sanitary quality of food products by detecting possible pathogenic microorganisms (such as Escherichia coli or Salmonella due to the important digestive disorders that they can cause in many consumers) is of major importance. Using efficient and environmentally friendly detection systems for identification of various pathogens that modify food matrices and turn them into food waste faster will also improve agri-food quality throughout the food chain. This paper reviews the use of metal nanoparticles used to obtain bio nanosensors for the purpose mentioned above. Metallic nanoparticles (Au, Ag, etc.) and their oxides can be synthesized by several methods, such as chemical, physical, physico-chemical, and biological, each bringing advantages and disadvantages in their use for developing nanosensors. In the green chemistry approach, a particular importance is given to the metal nanoparticles obtained by phytosynthesis. This method can lead to the development of good quality nanoparticles, at the same time being able to use secondary metabolites from vegetal wastes, as such providing a circular economy character. Considering these aspects, the use of phytosynthesized nanoparticles in other biosensing applications is also presented as a glimpse of their potential, which should be further explored.

Automated summary

Nowadays, the importance of quality control and food safety is emphasized. Issues with food quality not only affect the industry, but also consumers and society, leading to economic losses, changes in product quality, and posing health risks to consumers. Therefore, the development of rapid analytical systems for assessing the sanitary quality of food products, particularly the detection of pathogenic microorganisms, is crucial. Utilizing efficient and environmentally friendly detection systems to identify and convert pathogens into food waste can enhance agri-food quality throughout the entire food chain. This review paper explores the use of metal nanoparticles, especially those synthesized through green chemistry methods, as bio nanosensors in addressing these challenges. Furthermore, the potential applications of phytosynthesized nanoparticles in other biosensing areas are also discussed, highlighting the need for further exploration.