A novel binderless self-bonding bamboo parenchyma cell tray: Exploring formation mechanisms and functional properties...

To alleviate the spoilage of fresh produce and mitigate environmental pressures, a novel self-bonding bamboo parenchyma cell tray (CH-HPT) was developed using an improved hot-pressing approach. The optimal preparation conditions for CH-HPT were 240 °C, 16 MPa, and 10 min. This tray was successfully formed through mechanisms including starch adhesion, lignin self-condensation, phenolic-aldehyde crosslinking, and hydrogen bonding. The optimized tray exhibited a flexural strength of 31.81 MPa, a flexural modulus of 5.58 GPa, and a 24 h thickness swelling of 4.42 %. Moreover, the abundant presence of phenolic and flavonoid derivatives conferred the tray with good antibacterial and antioxidant properties. Additionally, the optimized CH-HPT showed favorable biodegradability under natural conditions. This tray effectively reduced the decay rate and retarded the decline of total soluble solids and ascorbic acid contents in strawberry and cucumber during storage, highlighting its significant potential in food packaging applications.