Quantitative SERS detection of aflatoxin B1 in edible crude palm oil using QuEChERS combined with chemometrics

Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) is a potent carcinogen whose presence in food threatens consumers. This study aimed to develop a rapid method for the quantitative detection of AFB1 in crude palm oil (CPO) using novel gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) and the QuEChERS (Quick, Easy, Cheap, Effective, Rugged, and Safe) technique, combined with chemometrics. The bootstrapping soft shrinkage-partial least squares (BOSS-PLS) algorithm yielded the most favorable results, with an Rc of 0.9929, RMSECV of 0.204 ng/g, and an RPD of 3.93. The results demonstrated that the developed method is highly accurate, sensitive, and specific for detecting AFB1 in CPO, with a low limit of detection (LOD) of 0.00092 ng/g. The results underscore the potential of employing a combination of AuNPs, QuEChERS extraction, and chemometrics for detecting AFB1 in CPO. The developed method can be employed to monitor and ensure the quality of CPO, thereby preventing the spread of AFB1 contamination in the food industry.