DNAzyme biosensor as an emerging food safety indicator: History and fundamental mechanism to future prospects

DNAzymes are frequently adopted in biosensors for their sensitivity and specificity in detecting and managing food safety concerns. Depending on the DNAzyme variant, they can function as recognition elements or signal reporters in biosensors. This review comprehensively evaluates the incorporation of DNAzymes in optical and electrochemical biosensing. It provides a comprehensive overview and understanding of the development of DNAzyme-based biosensors for food safety detection in the food industry. The brief introduction, development history, and immobilization strategy of DNAzyme biosensors in food were highlighted to improve the working of DNAzyme-based biosensors. The detection process of DNAzyme-based biosensors is formulated, emphasizing the catalytic cleavage of the analytes and the subsequent signal amplification methods used to improve sensitivity. The emerging optical and electrochemical sensors based on DNAzyme are also classified according to their sensing mechanism towards food safety. Lastly, the hurdles and future research expectations of DNAzyme biosensors for food safety detection are highlighted to improve selectivity, specificity, and potential for integration with other technologies. This article provides a comprehensive review of DNAzyme-based biosensors for detecting food safety, highlighting the potential for further development in this field.