Abstract: Pyrethroids (PYRs), a class of broad-spectrum and highly effective insecticides, are widely used in agricultural production. However, their extensive application has led to concerns about environmental pollution and food safety, attracting global attention. Esterases, a crucial group of biocatalysts, can effectively degrade PYRs pesticides, holding significant potential for controlling pesticide residues in foods. This review systematically summarizes the catalytic mechanisms of esterases in the degradation of PYRs, the molecular structural characteristics of PYR-degrading esterases from diverse sources, and recent advances in enzyme immobilization technologies. We aim to systematically synthesize recent research on the degradation characteristics and immobilization strategies of esterases from different sources, not only establishing a theoretical framework for developing efficient and stable green technologies to degrade PYRs residues in foods, but also offering strategic insights for constructing immobilized enzyme sensors for rapid PYRs detection, thereby providing an efficient solution for whole-process control to ensure food safety.

Key words: pyrethroids; esterase degradation; catalytic mechanism; enzyme immobilization; food safety