Phenolic compound determination through electrochemical methodologies and biosensors: A review supported by bibliometric analysis.

In the last two decades, changes in the paradigms and approaches of medicine have led to an increasing interest in the study of bioactive compounds, particularly phenolic compounds (PC), due to their features, mainly as antioxidants. The quantification of these substances, i.e., the determination of the antioxidant capacity (AOC) or the total phenolic content (TPC), as well as their affinity for free radicals of biological relevance, known as antioxidant activity (AOA), has been performed traditionally in extracts, juices, or leaf preparations, fruits, and roots, using spectrophotometric techniques and chromatography. Such techniques usually require pollutant reagents, robust equipment, and highly qualified personnel for their accurate interpretation. As an emerging multidisciplinary field of interest for the agricultural and food industries, medicine, pharmacology, and nutrition, the necessity to explore alternative methodologies that result in affordable, environmentally friendly, and easy-to-use products for personnel trained in disciplines other than analytical chemistry has risen; outstandingly, electrochemical methodologies and biosensors are among them. This work compiles a collection of papers found in the Scopus, Web of Science, and Dimensions databases regarding analytical methods used for the determination of PC in agricultural products and the assessment of their AOC. Finally, it is concluded that electrochemical biosensors are a promising resource for determining AOC and AOA at the same performance level as traditional techniques; however, it is still necessary to encourage researchers and engineers from different fields to cooperate in interdisciplinary work to overcome biosensor limitations related to affordable production techniques as well as more versatile, compact, and miniaturised designs. Meanwhile, chemical receptors related to PC have to be developed along with fine algorithms for signal processing and data analysis that yield a sensitive detection of PC and the capability for identifying PC families or species according to their signal response to attain a competitive final product. • There is an increasing interest in bioactive compounds, reflected in the amount of publications related to this subject. • The high demand for the phenolic profile description unveils the necessity for more accessible and versatile methodologies. • Electrochemical methodologies represent an alternative to traditional techniques, being subject of research and development. • Characteristics of electrochemical methodologies is presented in this work, as well as the studies made on vegetable sources. • A multidisciplinary effort is needed in order to overcome limitations of electrochemical methodologies as well as biosensors.