Biosensors for Non-Destructive Fruit Quality Assessment: A Comprehensive Review of Principles and Applications in Green Horticulture
Abstract
Biosensors are analytical devices that combine a biological sensing element (enzymes, antibodies, microorganisms, DNA, or plant tissues) with a physical transducer to detect and measure specific substances (analytes) in fruits. This interaction produces a measurable biological response that the transducer converts into an electrical, optical, or thermal signal. Valued for assessing fruit quality, biosensors enable rapid, real-time, and non-destructive testing, overcoming the time-consuming, destructive nature of traditional laboratory analysis. An effective biosensor exhibits high selectivity (detecting only the target in complex tissues), sensitivity (detecting trace compounds), quick response, linearity, reproducibility, and stability.
Different biosensor types operate on distinct sensing principles. Electrochemical biosensors measure electrical signals from biochemical reactions, offering low cost and fast response. Optical biosensors detect changes in light (absorption, fluorescence) for color and biochemical analysis. Calorimetric biosensors measure minute heat changes from reactions, while piezoelectric/acoustic sensors detect mass-based vibrations on crystal surfaces. Potentiometric biosensors measure voltage changes for ion detection (e.g., pH), and amperometric biosensors measure current changes for detecting pesticides and sugars.
In fruit quality assessment, advanced biosensing technologies are widely applied. Optical sensors like Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (NIRS), hyperspectral imaging, and visible light imaging monitor ripeness, defects, sugar levels, and maturity by analyzing light absorption/reflection. Electromagnetic technologies such as Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) and Terahertz sensing reveal internal structures, moisture, and residues non-destructively. Acoustic/ultrasonic sensors use wave propagation to determine firmness and internal defects. Electronic nose (E-nose) systems detect volatile compounds to assess aroma, freshness, and spoilage. Dielectric property sensors measure electrical permittivity to assess internal quality and moisture content. This review comprehensively details the principles, types, and integrated applications of these biosensors for non-destructive fruit quality monitoring in green horticulture.
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Introduction
Biosensors are advanced analytical tools that combine biological sensing elements—such as enzymes, antibodies, or microorganisms—with physicochemical transducers to detect specific analytes. These devices translate biological interactions into measurable signals like electrical current, light intensity, or heat changes, offering rapid, sensitive and selective detection. Originally developed for medical diagnostics, biosensors have found expanding applications in agriculture, food safety, and environmental monitoring due to their portability, cost-effectiveness and real-time capabilities.
In the horticultural sector, biosensors are revolutionizing fruit quality assessment by enabling non-destructive, precise and continuous monitoring of key parameters. Traditional methods for evaluating fruit quality—such as chemical assays or manual inspection—are often time-consuming, labour-intensive, and destructive. Biosensors overcome these limitations by providing instant feedback on attributes like ripeness, sweetness, acidity, firmness, aroma and nutritional content. This empowers farmers, processors, and retailers to make informed decisions about harvest timing, storage conditions and market readiness. Fruit quality is a multifaceted concept involving physical appearance, internal composition, taste and shelf life. Biosensors can detect chemical markers such as glucose, ethylene, citric acid and polyphenols, which correlate with ripeness, flavour and antioxidant levels. Mechanical sensors assess firmness and texture, while optical and electronic nose technologies evaluate colour, aroma and spoilage. These insights are crucial for maintaining consumer satisfaction, reducing post-harvest losses and ensuring food safety across the supply chain.
As biosensor technology evolves, integration with IoT and AIsystems is paving the way for smart farming solutions. Portable and wireless biosensors can transmit real-time data to cloud platforms, enabling predictive analytics and automated decision-making. This not only enhances productivity and sustainability but also supports traceability and compliance with quality standards. This review provides a comprehensive analysis of biosensor principles, types, and integrated sensing technologies for fruit quality assessment, concluding with future perspectives on their role in precision horticulture.
Conclusion
Biosensors have emerged as transformative tools in fruit quality assessment, offering rapid, non-destructive, and highly specific analysis across the entire horticultural supply chain. By integrating biological recognition elements with advanced transduction mechanisms—electrochemical, optical, electronic, colorimetric, acoustic and potentiometric—these devices enable precise monitoring of key quality indicators such as sugar content, acidity, firmness, aroma, and spoilage markers. Their ability to detect trace analytes like glucose, ethylene and VOCs in real time supports informed decision-making during harvest, postharvest handling, storage and retail.
The evolution from first-generation enzyme electrodes to third-generation nano-enabled FET biosensors reflects a trajectory of increasing sensitivity, miniaturization and integration with smart technologies. Coupled with IoT and AIplatforms, biosensors now facilitate automated grading, predictive analytics and traceability, aligning with the goals of precision horticulture and sustainable agriculture.
As biosensor technologies continue to advance, their role in enhancing fruit quality, reducing postharvest losses and ensuring consumer satisfaction will become increasingly central. Future innovations will likely focus on multi-analyte detection, wearable formats and smart packaging systems, further embedding biosensors into the digital transformation of horticultural science. To realize their full potential, collaborative efforts among researchers, engineers, growers, and policymakers are essential to address existing challenges and accelerate the adoption of these eco-friendly smart applications in green horticulture.
CONFLICT OF INTEREST The authors declare no conflict of interest.
