Microfluidic opportunities in the field of nutrition

Abstract

Nutrition has always been closely related to human health, which is a constant motivational force driving research in a variety of disciplines. Over the years, the rapidly emerging field of microfluidics has been pushing forward the healthcare industry with the development of microfluidic-based, point-of-care (POC) diagnostic devices. Though a great deal of work has been done in developing microfluidic platforms for disease diagnoses, potential microfluidic applications in the field of nutrition remain largely unexplored. In this Focus article, we would like to investigate the potential chances for microfluidics in the field of nutrition. We will first highlight some of the recent advances in microfluidic blood analysis systems that have the capacity to detect biomarkers of nutrition. Then we will examine existing examples of microfluidic devices for the detection of specific biomarkers of nutrition or nutrient content in food. Finally, we will discuss the challenges in this field and provide some insight into the future of applied microfluidics in nutrition.

Figure 1

Latest country prevalence estimates for stunting, underweight and wasting among children under-five years of age. Images reproduced from ref. 7 with permissions from WHO and UNICEF.

Figure 2

(a) Schematics of the stand-alone, self-powered integrated microfluidic blood analysis system (SIMBAS); (b) Disc design of the fully automated LOD ELISA system; (c) The brief workflow of the µPAD used for multiplexed transaminase test. Images reproduced from ref. 23, 34 and 55 with permissions from the Royal Society of Chemistry and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Figure 3

(a) The schematic of the one-step, capillary-driven, POC CRP detection device; (b) The microfluidic chip based on nickel oxide nanorods (NRs-NiO) used for the detection of total cholesterol. Images reproduced from ref. 74 and 84 with permissions from the Royal Society of Chemistry.

Figure 4

(a) and (b) show the schematic of the microfluidic ELISA device for the quantification of folic acid in infant formula samples. (c) to (h) show the fully integrated, portable microfluidic sedimentation cytometer (SeCy) used for milk analysis. Images reproduced from ref. 124 and 126 with permission from Springer.