Advancing Bongkrekic Acid Detection: From Conventional Instrumental Analysis to Advanced Biosensing for Cross-Toxin Applications

Bongkrekic acid (BKA), a highly lethal toxin, has been implicated in frequent poisoning incidents in recent years, posing a serious threat to global food safety and creating an urgent need for rapid and sensitive detection methods. This review provides a systematic analysis of the entire BKA detection technologies, covering sample pretreatment techniques, instrumental analysis, immunoassays, and biosensing methods. It assesses the merits of key methods and also explores the strategic cross-application of detection paradigms developed for analogous toxins. This review delivers a comprehensive and critical evaluation of BKA detection technologies. First, it discusses sample pretreatment strategies, notably solid-phase extraction (SPE) and QuEChERS. Subsequently, it analyzes the principles, performance, and applications of core detection methods, including high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS), high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS), time-resolved fluorescence immunoassay (TRFIA), dual-mode immunosensors and nanomaterial-based sensors. Instrumental methods (e.g., HRMS) offer unmatched sensitivity [with a limit of detection (LOD) as low as 0.01 μg/kg], yet remain costly and laboratory-dependent. Immunoassay and biosensor approaches (TRFIA and dual-mode sensors) enable rapid on-site detection with high sensitivity (ng/mL to pg/mL), though challenges in stability and specificity remain. Looking forward, the development of next-generation BKA detection could be accelerated by cross-applying cutting-edge strategies proven for toxins-such as Fumonisin B1 (FB1), Ochratoxin A (OTA), and Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1)-including nanobody technology, CRISPR-Cas-mediated signal amplification, and multimodal integrated platforms. To translate this potential into practical tools, future research should prioritize the synthesis of high-specificity recognition elements, innovative signal amplification strategies, and integrated portable devices, aiming to establish end-to-end biosensing systems capable of on-site rapid detection through multitechnology integration.