A dual-channel colorimetric/fluorescent sensor array for discriminating aminoglycoside antibiotics in food via MOF-based inhibition

Discriminating structurally similar Aminoglycoside antibiotics (AG) subtypes is highly desired yet remains a challenge. In this study, we developed a colorimetric and fluorescent dual-channel sensor array based on the inhibition of acetylcholinesterase-like activity MOF-808-Al for the discrimination of four AGs. The sensor leverages the competitive binding of AGs to Lewis acid and metal–OH sites on MOF-808-Al, which inhibits its AChE-like activity and prevents the generation of thiocholine. This in turn modulates the oxidation of o -phenylenediamine by Cu 2+ , leading to concentration-dependent changes in absorbance at 416 nm and fluorescence at 560 nm. The sensor array, combined with pattern recognition methods (PCA and HCA), successfully discriminated AGs in individual, binary, and ternary mixtures, as well as in real food samples (milk, pork, honey) with high accuracy, recovery (100.0–109.6%), and low RSD (~2%). This work presents a sensitive, specific, and practical platform for AG discrimination in complex matrices.