Review—Recent Advances in Direct and Indirect Methods for Sensing Carbonyl Compounds Aldehydes in Environment and Foodstuffs

Aldehydes are chemicals substances widely distributed in nature and have been quantified in multiple matrices such as air, water, food and beverages. While these compounds with traces can contribute to the fresh aroma of different foods, when used in higher concentrations, they can facilitate the rancidity of foods and the release of taste. However, it is known that several aldehydes are irritating and carcinogenic. In addition, they are considered to be the potential marker for oxidative stress and metabolic status, which has been proposed to estimate cancer disease and symptoms of alcohol abuse. For these reasons, it is essential to establish a method for the determination of aldehydes in different samples. This paper review provides an insight into current knowledge on the methods and applications of aldehyde measurements, with an emphasis on analytical and electroanalytical techniques. Emphasis was put on the reactivity, specificity and toxicity of reactive aldehydes with respect to cellular targets and their concentrations measured in air, food and water. We discuss the different derivatization reagents used to measure aldehydes and their quantification in real matrices for human consumption such as drinking water, orange and apple vinegar, urine, serum, plasma, cigarette smoke, yogurt, and blood samples.