Food safety is a crucial issue concerning public health and socio-economic development. Aristolochic acids (AAs) are a class of nitrophenanthrene compounds widely present in Aristolochiaceae plants, exhibiting significant nephrotoxicity, carcinogenicity and mutagenicity, and have been classified as group I carcinogens by the World Health Organization. Due to the use of traditional herbs and certain food ingredients, the potential exposure risk of AAs has increasingly become a critical subject in food safety monitoring. This paper systematically reviewed the chemical structure and toxicological properties of AAs, with a particular focus on sample preparation methods and analytical detection techniques in food matrices. In terms of sample pretreatment, this work discussed conventional pretreatment approaches and the application of emerging functionalized materials, highlighting the advantages of highly selective and efficient pretreatment materials in eliminating interference from complex food matrices. Regarding analytical detection, this review summarized recent advancements in liquid chromatography, capillary electrophoresis, electrochemical analysis, surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy, immunoassays, and compared their advantages and disadvantages in sensitivity, specificity, operational convenience and applicability. This review provided theoretical references and technical support for AAs detection in food, contributing to technological innovation and practical advancement in food safety, ultimately enhancing public health protection.

aristolochic acids  /  toxicity  /  pre-treatment