# Topics and Trends in Most Cited Mycotoxins in Agriculture and Food Papers, Class of 2026

*Canonical URL: https://pri.pepkio.com/top-papers/mycotoxins-in-agriculture-and-food/2026*

## What topics and trends defined most-cited Mycotoxins in Agriculture and Food research in the Class of 2026?

Mycotoxin research in 2024 is anchored by Aflatoxin B1, zearalenone, and point-of-care detection. Research sharply shifted toward electrochemical biosensors, aptamers, and SERS-based sensing, while enzymatic degradation and multi-toxin co-occurrence gained momentum as traditional patulin and general ROS studies declined.

## At a glance

| Fact | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Field | Mycotoxins in Agriculture and Food |
| Cohort label | Class of 2026 (2024 publications) |
| Papers analyzed | 3,199 |
| Papers ranked | 20 |
| Top topics in ranked papers | Aflatoxin B1, zearalenone, point-of-care detection, electrochemical biosensors, enzymatic degradation |
| Publication window | Jan 1, 2024 – Dec 31, 2024 |
| Eligibility | Research articles; reviews excluded |
| Citation window | 18 months post-publication |
| 18m citation range | 24–77 |
| Data source | OpenAlex · Retrieved Jul 2026 |
| License | CC BY 4.0 |

## Rankings

| Rank | Title | Authors | Corresponding authors | Affiliation | Journal | 18m citations | DOI |
| ---: | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | ---: | --- |
| 1 | Preparation of dual recognition adsorbents based on molecularly imprinted polymers and aptamer for highly sensitive recognition and enrichment of ochratoxin A | Lingjun Geng, Jingjing Liu, Wenbin Zhang, Haifang Wang, Jingcheng Huang, Guangxian Wang, Mengjiao Hu, Haowei Dong, Jiashuai Sun, Mingxuan Fang, Yemin Guo, Xia Sun | Jiashuai Sun, Yemin Guo, Xia Sun | Shandong University of Technology, China | Journal of Hazardous Materials | 77 | 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2024.135112 |
| 2 | A biosensor integrating the electrochemical and fluorescence strategies for detection of aflatoxin B1 based on a dual-functionalized platform | Hamidreza Rahmanian, Mitra Malekkiani, Mehdi Dadmehr, Zarrin Es'haghi, Sareh Sadat Moshirian-Farahi | Mehdi Dadmehr, Zarrin Es’haghi | Payame Noor University, Iran | Analytica Chimica Acta | 51 | 10.1016/j.aca.2024.343085 |
| 3 | Magnetic metal-organic frameworks-based ratiometric SERS aptasensor for sensitive detection of patulin in apples | Ruiyun Zhou, Xinchen Wu, Shanshan Xue, Limei Yin, Shipeng Gao, Yang Zhang, Chen Wang, Yansong Wang, Hesham R El-Seedi, Xiaobo Zou, Zhiming Guo | Zhiming Guo | Jiangsu University, China | Food Chemistry | 44 | 10.1016/j.foodchem.2024.142200 |
| 4 | Highly conductive AuNPs/Co-MOF nanocomposites synergistic hybridization chain reaction enzyme-free electrochemical aptasensor for ultrasensitive detection of Aflatoxin B1 | Tengfei Yu, Zhiguang Suo, Xinyue Zhang, Hailin Shen, Min Wei, Huali Jin, Baoshan He, Wenjie Ren, Yiwei Xu | Zhiguang Suo | Henan University of Technology, China | Chemical Engineering Journal | 38 | 10.1016/j.cej.2024.153596 |
| 5 | Ultrasensitive electrochemical sensing for simultaneous rapid detection of zearalenone and ochratoxin A in feedstuffs and foodstuffs | Kornautchaya Veenuttranon, Xianbo Lu, Jiping Chen | Xianbo Lu | Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, China | Chemical Engineering Journal | 37 | 10.1016/j.cej.2024.154807 |
| 6 | Rapid, on-site quantitative determination of mycotoxins in grains using a multiple time-resolved fluorescent microsphere immunochromatographic test strip | JunFa Liang, Xuewei Li, Bin Huang, Yupeng Pan, Zile Zhuang, Qiuxiong Ye, Cheng Peng, Huangyi Deng, Yunting Yi, Binbin Zhang, Peiyi Chen, Xuncai Chen | Pei‐Yi Chen, Xuncai Chen | Guangzhou Institute of Food Inspection, China | Biosensors and Bioelectronics | 33 | 10.1016/j.bios.2024.116357 |
| 7 | Neurotoxic mechanisms of mycotoxins: Focus on aflatoxin B1 and T-2 toxin | Chao Song, Zixu Wang, Jing Cao, Yulan Dong, Yaoxing Chen | Yaoxing Chen | China Agricultural University, China | Environmental Pollution | 30 | 10.1016/j.envpol.2024.124359 |
| 8 | Removal of aflatoxin M1 in milk using magnetic laccase/MoS2/chitosan nanocomposite as an efficient sorbent | Alieh Rezagholizade-Shirvan, Ahmad Ghasemi, Yeganeh Mazaheri, Samira Shokri, Saeid Fallahizadeh, Mahmood Alizadeh Sani, Mahnaz Mohtashami, Maryam Mahmoudzadeh, Mansour Sarafraz, Majid Darroudi, Zeinab Rezaei, Ehsan Shamloo | Ehsan Shamloo | Neyshabur University of Medical Sciences, Iran | Chemosphere | 30 | 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2024.143334 |
| 9 | Multiplexed lateral-flow immunoassays for the simultaneous detection of several mycotoxins in foodstuffs | Shipeng Gao, Zhangkun Wei, Xueyun Zheng, Tianxing Wang, Shengxi Huang, Tingting Shen, Di Zhang, Di Zhang, Zhiming Guo, Yang Zhang, Xiaobo Zou | Di Zhang, Zhiming Guo, Yang Zhang, Xiaobo Zou | Jiangsu University, China | Trends in Food Science & Technology | 30 | 10.1016/j.tifs.2024.104858 |
| 10 | Co-contamination and interactions of multiple mycotoxins and heavy metals in rice, maize, soybeans, and wheat flour marketed in Shanghai City | Zuoyin Zhu, Wenbo Guo, Haisheng Cheng, Hanke Zhao, Jie Wang, Mohamed F Abdallah, Xinli Zhou, Hulong Lei, Weilong Tu, Hongyang Wang, Junhua Yang | Junhua Yang | Shanghai Academy of Agricultural Sciences, China | Journal of Hazardous Materials | 28 | 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2024.134695 |
| 11 | Electrochemistry–glucosemeter–smartphone integrated multi-mode biosensor for accurate detection of aflatoxin B1 | Zhiguang Suo, Tao Lu, Jiahui Liu, Jiayi Li, Li Wang, Yong Liu, Min Wei | Zhiguang Suo, Min Wei | Henan University of Technology, China | Analytica Chimica Acta | 28 | 10.1016/j.aca.2024.343398 |
| 12 | Integrated network toxicology, molecular docking, and in vivo experiments to elucidate molecular mechanism of aflatoxin B1 hepatotoxicity | Bingjie Ge, Kexin Yan, Rui Sang, Wei Wang, Xinman Liu, Minghong Yu, Xiaotong Liu, Qian Qiu, Xuemei Zhang | Xuemei Zhang | Yanbian University, China | Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety | 27 | 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2024.116278 |
| 13 | Probiotic-derived extracellular vesicles alleviate AFB1-induced intestinal injury by modulating the gut microbiota and AHR activation | Jinyan Li, Mengdie Shi, Yubo Wang, Jinyan Liu, Shuiping Liu, Weili Kang, Xianjiao Liu, Xingxiang Chen, Kehe Huang, Yunhuan Liu | Yunhuan Liu | Nanjing Agricultural University, China | Journal of Nanobiotechnology | 27 | 10.1186/s12951-024-02979-3 |
| 14 | Aggregation-induced emission nanoparticles facilitating multicolor lateral flow immunoassay for rapid and simultaneous detection of aflatoxin B1 and zearalenone | Yi Zhang, Guoxin Chen, Xirui Chen, Xiaxia Wei, Xuan-Ang Shen, Hu Jiang, Xiaoyang Li, Yonghua Xiong, Xiaolin Huang | Xiaolin Huang | Nanchang University, China | Food Chemistry | 26 | 10.1016/j.foodchem.2024.138997 |
| 15 | Enzyme-assisted patulin detoxification: Recent applications and perspectives | Shipeng Gao, Yang Zhang, Yang Zhang, Qing Sun, Zhiming Guo, Di Zhang, Xiaobo Zou | Yang Zhang, Di Zhang, Xiaobo Zou | Jiangsu University, China | Trends in Food Science & Technology | 26 | 10.1016/j.tifs.2024.104383 |
| 16 | Therapeutic detoxification of quercetin for aflatoxin B1-related toxicity: Roles of oxidative stress, inflammation, and metabolic enzymes | Chongshan Dai, Gaurav Sharma, Gaoyi Liu, Jianzhong Shen, Bing Shao, Zhihui Hao | Zhihui Hao | China Agricultural University, China | Environmental Pollution | 24 | 10.1016/j.envpol.2024.123474 |
| 17 | Quantitative SERS sensor for mycotoxins with extraction and identification function | Yang Zhang, Chuping Zhao, Pierre Picchetti, Kaiyi Zheng, Xinai Zhang, Yanling Wu, Ye Shen, Luisa De Cola, Jiyong Shi, Zhiming Guo, Xiaobo Zou | Zhiming Guo, Xiaobo Zou | Jiangsu University, China | Food Chemistry | 24 | 10.1016/j.foodchem.2024.140040 |
| 18 | Near-infrared spectroscopy based on colorimetric sensor array coupled with convolutional neural network detecting zearalenone in wheat | Yongqin Zhao, Jihong Deng, Quansheng Chen, Hui Jiang | Hui Jiang | Jiangsu University, China | Food Chemistry X | 24 | 10.1016/j.fochx.2024.101322 |
| 19 | Lateral flow assay for simultaneous detection of multiple mycotoxins using nanozyme to amplify signals | Yunong Tang, Pengfei Ma, Imran Mahmood Khan, Wenbo Cao, Yin Zhang, Zhouping Wang | Pengfei Ma, Zhouping Wang | Jiangnan University, China | Food Chemistry | 24 | 10.1016/j.foodchem.2024.140398 |
| 20 | Quantification of 700 mycotoxins and other secondary metabolites of fungi and plants in grain products | Michael Sulyok, Michele Suman, Rudolf Krska | Michael Sulyok | University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Austria | npj Science of Food | 24 | 10.1038/s41538-024-00294-7 |

## Topic trends

### What Topics Define the Class of 2026?

The 2026 cohort in Mycotoxins in Agriculture and Food is defined by major agricultural fungal toxins and advanced detection and remediation technologies. Aflatoxin B1 dominates the research landscape, appearing in 36% of analyzed papers as the leading toxicological threat in food and feed commodities. Other critical fungal toxins, including zearalenone (20%), ochratoxin A (16%), and deoxynivalenol (14%), form a prominent cluster of contamination challenges addressed across agricultural supply chains.

To combat these hazards, research has heavily gravitated toward rapid, on-site analytical platforms and biological mitigation strategies. Point-of-care detection (14%) and electrochemical biosensors (12%) lead analytical innovation alongside immunoassays (10%) and surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS, 10%). Concurrently, biological control measures are heavily emphasized, centered around enzymatic degradation (12%) and microbial detoxification of mycotoxins in food products. Additionally, studies investigating Fusarium graminearum (12%) highlight ongoing efforts to control fungal pathogenesis at the field level, bridging crop protection with downstream food safety.

*Leading research themes*

### How Did Topics Shift from the Class of 2025 to the Class of 2026?

Comparing the Class of 2025 to the Class of 2026 reveals a distinct shift toward high-sensitivity biosensing, molecular recognition, and targeted biocatalytic detoxification. The most dramatic surges occurred in electrochemical biosensing platforms and Fusarium graminearum pathogen research, both expanding 6.0-fold in normalized frequency. Aptamer-based recognition and mycotoxin co-occurrence studies also surged 4.0-fold, reflecting growing awareness of synergistic toxicity from multi-toxin exposure in grain commodities. Furthermore, zearalenone research doubled (2.0-fold), driven by its prevalence in corn and cereal crops.

Novel 2024 entries highlight the rise of optical sensing and enzymatic solutions, spearheaded by surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS, 10% frequency), specific SERS aptasensors, and specialized toxin-degrading enzymes. In contrast, traditional chemical assay topics and broader cellular stress markers saw relative declines; patulin research fell to 0.4-fold of its previous frequency, while studies focused purely on reactive oxygen species decreased to 0.6-fold. Overall, the field is transitioning from general toxicity profiling toward rapid, multi-target diagnostics and precise, green enzymatic degradation.

*How topics shifted year over year*

## Cite this ranking

```
Pepkio Research Index (PRI). Topics and Trends in Most Cited Mycotoxins in Agriculture and Food Papers, Class of 2026. https://pri.pepkio.com/top-papers/mycotoxins-in-agriculture-and-food/2026. Accessed 2026-07-31.

Zheng Su, Tinsley Li, Thematic Shifts in Early-High-Impact Cancer Genomics and Diagnostics Research: A Bibliometric and Semantic Analysis. bioRxiv 2026.07.04.736459; doi: https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.07.04.736459
```