Real-Time Monitoring of Microbial Contamination and Stress Biomarkers with Liquid Crystal-Based Immunosensors for Food Safety Assessment
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Aquaculture is a crucial global food production sector that faces challenges in water quality management, food safety, and stress-related health concerns in aquatic species. Cortisol, a key stress biomarker in fish, and Escherichia coli (E. coli) contamination in bivalve mollusks are critical indicators that require sensitive and real-time detection methods. Liquid crystal (LC)-based immunosensors have emerged as a promising solution for detecting biological analytes due to their high sensitivity, rapid response, and label-free optical detection capabilities. Therefore, this study explores the development and application of LC-based immunosensors for the detection of cortisol in artificial and real recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) samples, as well as E. coli in real contaminated water and clam samples during the depuration processes of bivalve mollusks. The biosensors exhibited the capacity to detect cortisol with a response time in seconds and a limit of detection (LOD) of 0.1 ng/mL. Furthermore, they demonstrated specificity to cortisol when tested against different interfering substances, including testosterone, glucose, and cholesterol. Furthermore, it was possible to correlate cortisol concentrations in different filtration stages and track E. coli contamination during depuration. The results confirm the feasibility of LC-based immunosensors as a user-friendly, portable, and efficient diagnostic tool for aquaculture applications.
Source: Biosensors
DOI: 10.3390/bios16010059
Language: English
Subfield: Biomedical Engineering
Field: Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $2,654
Awards: G1152344396, G1918496035, G216912602, G2219685250, Instituto de Nanoestruturas, Nanomodelação e Nanofabricação, Centro de Estudos do Ambiente e do Mar, G3144760282, G3292045690, G3771185154, Instituto de Nanoestruturas, Nanomodelação e Nanofabricação, G4090066734, G4273056302, CICECO-Instituto de Materiais de Aveiro, G4656370892, Centro de Tecnologia Mecânica e Automação, G4957281699, CICECO – Instituto de Materiais de Aveiro, G535059049, Centro de Tecnologia Mecânica e Automação, G6012768974, G6280310554, G6997658380, G7362492219, Centro de Estudos do Ambiente e do Mar, Instituto de Nanoestruturas, Nanomodelação e Nanofabricação, G8193937343, G8222313181, G8326934881, G8901571422, G8911869519
OpenAlex ID: W7123851010