Enhancing fresh-cut spinach preservation with carbon quantum dot-based composite coatings

Area of Science:

• Food Science
• Materials Science
• Biotechnology

Background:

• Fresh-cut vegetables are prone to spoilage, leading to significant postharvest waste.
• Developing effective preservation techniques is crucial for extending shelf life and reducing economic losses.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate a novel composite coating using carbon dots (CDs) and sericin protein (SC) for fresh-cut vegetable preservation.
• To investigate the impact of varying carbon dot concentrations on the composite coating's properties and efficacy.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of sericin protein and carbon dots (SCCD) composite coating utilizing ultrasound technology.
• Comprehensive analysis of morphological, fluorescence quenching, UV-shielding, and structural properties.
• Assessment of antioxidant and antibacterial activities against Bacillus subtilis and Escherichia coli.
• Evaluation of the coating's performance in a storage experiment with fresh-cut spinach.

Main Results:

• The SCCD composite coating demonstrated significant antioxidant and antibacterial activities, with notable increases in inhibition zones and bacterial inhibition compared to SC alone.
• Optimized SCCD formulations effectively reduced weight loss rate and malondialdehyde concentration in fresh-cut spinach by over 40%.
• The coating preserved spinach flavor and delayed microbial colony expansion during storage.

Conclusions:

• The developed SCCD composite coating shows great potential as an active food packaging material for extending the shelf life of fresh-cut vegetables.
• Ultrasound-assisted synthesis provides an effective method for creating functional composite coatings with enhanced preservation properties.
• This research offers a promising strategy to mitigate fresh-cut vegetable waste through advanced packaging solutions.