A truncated aptamer-based electrochemical sensor for sensitive Ara h 1 determination on gold nanoparticle-modified screen-printed electrodes

Food allergy, a worldwide health problem due to its rising prevalence, is an immune reaction to allergens. Among these, peanut allergy poses significant health risks and underscores the critical need for accurate detection methods. This study focuses on developing an electrochemical aptasensor based on a gold nanoparticle and Ara h 1 specific aptamer decorated screen-printed electrode for the rapid, sensitive, and portable detection of a major peanut allergen. Integrated with mobile devices, the aptasensor allows users to obtain experimental results effortlessly and conveniently. The developed electrochemical aptasensor operates by measuring changes in charge transfer on the electrode surface upon the selective binding of Ara h 1 to the immobilized aptamer. The aptasensor effectively identified Ara h 1 residues in food samples, exhibiting a linear detection range of 500-25,000 ng/mL and a detection limit of 500 ng/mL. The aptasensor's applicability was verified using food samples with measurements performed via a mobile potentiostat.