Electrochemical vitamin sensors: A critical review

This paper reviews the recent development of electrochemical sensors for the detection of vitamins over the past three years. Vitamins present in natural foodstuffs are a group of organic compounds that are indispensable to maintain human health. While they are only present in minute amounts, they still play a significant role in healthy metabolism. The deficiency of vitamins in the human body often leads to numerous diseases. Because the human body cannot synthesize most vitamins, it is necessary to obtain them from dietary sources. For these reasons, the detection of vitamins has gained widespread attention in recent years. As it is well known, almost all vitamins are electrochemically active. Based on the electrochemical oxidation or reduction reaction of the vitamins in an electrolyte, electrochemical sensors can obtain the concentration of the vitamins by measurement of the current at the working electrode. Electrochemical sensors for detecting water-soluble vitamins, such as vitamin B1, vitamin B2, vitamin B6, vitamin B9, vitamin B12, and vitamin C are discussed in detail. A comprehensive overview of electrochemical sensors for detecting fat-soluble vitamins, such as vitamin A, vitamin D, vitamin E, and vitamin K, is also provided. Furthermore, the strategies employed and the performance of the electrochemical sensors for detecting vitamins are described. Finally, current challenges and future prospects of electrochemical sensors for the detection of vitamins are discussed.