Smart Electrochemical Sensing for Rapid Detection of Iron in Dietary Supplements

Dietary supplements play a key role in improving nutritional intake and preventing deficiencies, particularly iron supplements for pregnant women, those at risk for iron-deficiency anemia, and patients with conditions such as chronic blood loss, inflammatory bowel disease, and certain cancers. Iron is essential for several physiological functions, including oxygen transport, energy metabolism, and immune function, making its supplementation crucial for those with insufficient dietary intake or increased demand. Traditional analytical methods for quality control are effective, but they are often expensive and time-consuming. This study presents a portable electrochemical sensor for iron ion detection designed with a polyester substrate modified with gold nanoparticles. The sensor demonstrated a detection limit of 40 ppb and successfully verified its trueness on real samples of dietary supplements. These results suggest that electrochemical sensors offer a rapid and cost-effective alternative for quality control in the dietary supplement industry.