Emerging Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs): Synthesis, Bioactivities, Preservation, Active Packaging/Sensing System,...

Seafood is highly susceptible to rapid microbial proliferation, lipid oxidation, and volatile spoilage compound accumulation, resulting in rapid quality deterioration and food waste. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), a class of crystalline coordination materials with tunable porosity, high surface area, and diverse metal-ligand architectures, have emerged as multifunctional platforms for advanced seafood preservation. This review presents a mechanistically grounded analysis of MOF-based systems, emphasizing on how coordination environments and framework properties govern antimicrobial, antioxidant, adsorption, and sensing performance. A unified structure-property-function framework is proposed, classifying MOF functionalities into ion-mediated, redox-driven, adsorption-dominant, and hybrid multifunctional modes relevant to seafood application. Particular attention is given to coordination-driven processes and mode of action, including reactive oxygen species (ROS) regulation, metal ion interactions, selective host-guest adsorption, and controlled release under humid and biologically complex conditions. Key performance constraints that dictate practical performance are identified, including antimicrobial efficacy versus metal-ion migration, ROS-mediated preservation versus oxidative damage, adsorption strength versus reversibility, and sensing sensitivity versus operational robustness. These constraints are amplified in seafood systems due to high water activity, complex biochemical matrices, and rapid spoilage kinetics. Recent advances in MOF-integrated packaging and intelligent sensing demonstrate the potential for simultaneous preservation and real-time freshness monitoring. However, challenges related to hydrolytic instability, competitive adsorption, scalability, and regulatory compliance remain. Future research should focus on designing moisture-stable, biocompatible MOFs with controlled functionality and scalable fabrication. This work provides a conceptual and design-oriented foundation for translating MOFs into practical seafood preservation technologies.