Coupling sugarcane bagasse with chitooligosaccharides for safe and metabolic-balanced fruit preservation

Postharvest deterioration of fresh fruits and inefficient utilization of agricultural residues remain major global challenges. Polysaccharide-based coatings have attracted increasing attention in recent years as preservation materials; however, most existing systems still rely on chemical modifications or non-renewable components. In this study, we developed a fully bio-based composite coating by mixing sugarcane bagasse (SCB), chitooligosaccharides (COSs), and citric acid. The SCB-COSs coating exhibited well broad-spectrum antibacterial, antioxidant capacity, biosafety, edibility and water-washability. Applied to strawberries, the coating effectively delayed softening and senescence, extending storage time while maintaining texture and sensory quality. Multi-omics analysis revealed that the coating not only functioned as a physical barrier but also mildly regulated key metabolic pathways, including the tricarboxylic acid cycle, abscisic acid signaling, and phenylpropanoid metabolism. This simple strategy for constructing polysaccharide-based coatings from agricultural waste and bioactive oligosaccharides provides a sustainable solution for improving postharvest fruit quality and valorizing waste biomass.