Smartphone-Controlled Aptasensor for Voltammetric Detection of Patulin in Apple Juice

Patulin (PAT) is a mycotoxin that adversely affects the health of humans and animals. PAT can be particularly found in products such as apples and apple juice and can cause many health problems if consumed. Therefore, accurate and sensitive determination of PAT is very important for food quality and human and animal health. A voltammetric aptasensor was introduced in this study for PAT determination while measuring the changes at redox probe signal. The limit of detection (LOD) was found to be 0.18 pg/mL in the range of 1–104 pg/mL of PAT in buffer medium under optimum experimental conditions. The selectivity of the PAT aptasensor against ochratoxin A, fumonisin B1 and deoxynivalenol mycotoxins was examined and it was found that the aptasensor was very selective to PAT. PAT determination was performed in an apple juice medium for the first time by using a smartphone-integrated portable device, and accordingly, an LOD of 0.47 pg/mL was achieved in diluted apple juice medium. A recovery range of 91.24–93.47% was obtained for PAT detection.