Design of a novel SERS substrate by electrospinning for the detection of thiabendazole in soy-based foods

Abstract

This study aimed to detect and quantify thiabendazole in soy products by surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) coupled with electrospun substrates. Enhanced Raman signals were acquired from uniform electrospun substrates, which were analyzed by focusing on the CN stretching modes at 1592 cm^-1 for soy sauce and 1580 cm^-1 for soy milk. The results revealed a linear relationship between the signal intensity and analyte concentrations with high R² values (99.42 % for soy sauce and 99.75 % for soy milk). The limits of quantification (LOQ) were determined to be 69.9 ppb for soy milk and 240.59 ppb for soy sauce samples. The limits of detection (LOD) were found to be 23.1 ppb for soy milk and 79.4 ppb for soy sauce. These findings highlight the effectiveness of the electrospinning-SERS approach for detecting thiabendazole in soy-based food samples, contributing to the understanding of pesticide contamination and ensuring the quality and safety of food products.

Keywords: Detection; Electrospinning; Food safety; SERS; Thiabendazole.