Nanoencapsulation of Curcumin and Quercetin in Zein-chitosan Shells for Enhanced Broad-spectrum Antimicrobial Efficacy and Shelf-life Extension of Strawberries

IF 2.1 4区农林科学 Q3 BIOTECHNOLOGY & APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY

Journal of food protection Pub Date : 2025-04-24 DOI:10.1016/j.jfp.2025.100517

Angela Parry-Hanson Kunadu , Yashwanth Arcot , Luis Cisneros-Zevallos , Javad Barouei , M.E.S. Akbulut , T. Matthew Taylor

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Abstract

Strawberries face significant postharvest microbial spoilage risks due to high water and sugar content as well as low organic acid contents in their flesh. The study aimed to develop and characterize a novel strategy to delay microbiological spoilage in strawberries using single and coencapsulation of curcumin (Cm) and quercetin (Q), creating stable nanoencapsulates specifically designed to target mold spores, vegetative fungi, and bacteria, with potential applications for both foodservice and consumer use.

Using a layer-by-layer antisolvent method, nanoencapsulates of Cm and Q were synthesized, characterized, and assayed against both human and plant pathogenic bacteria and fungi in vitro and in situ. The nanoencapsulates formed stable, spherical emulsion droplets with monodisperse size distribution, high specific surface area, and moderately electro-positive ζ-potentials. Encapsulation efficiencies were 56% (Cm), 65% (Q), and 46.05 ± 4.78% (Cm) and 53.68 ± 4.83% (Q) for CmQ. The nanoencapsulated compounds exhibited strong antimicrobial activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella Montevideo, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, as well as Botrytis cinerea and Aspergillus niger spores in vitro. In strawberries, Cm and Q nanoencapsulates reduced decay incidence by 60% and 80% at 25 °C and 4 °C, respectively, significantly lowering aerobic bacteria by 3.55 ± 0.20 log CFU/g for Cm and 1.97 ± 0.35 log CFU/g for Q, respectively. Yeast and mold counts were likewise reduced by 2.46 ± 0.02 log CFU/g for Cm and 1.43 ± 0.16 log CFU/g for Q. Strawberry quality parameters (firmness, pH, and color) remained stable (P ≥ 0.05) after five days at 25 °C and 15 days at 4 °C. This study highlights a sustainable and effective nanoencapsulation approach for extending the microbiological shelf life of strawberries offering a promising opportunity in food preservation to mitigate spoilage and reduce postharvest losses on perishable fruits and vegetables.

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姜黄素和槲皮素在玉米蛋白壳聚糖壳中的纳米包封提高草莓的广谱抗菌效果和延长保质期

由于草莓果肉中水分和糖分含量高，有机酸含量低，因此草莓在采后面临显著的微生物腐败风险。该研究旨在开发和表征一种新的策略，通过姜黄素（Cm）和槲皮素(Q)的单包和共包来延缓草莓的微生物腐败，创造出稳定的纳米胶囊，专门针对霉菌孢子、营养真菌和细菌，具有潜在的应用于食品服务和消费者使用。采用一层一层的抗溶剂法，合成了Cm和Q纳米胶囊，对其进行了表征，并在体外和原位对人类和植物致病菌和真菌进行了检测。纳米胶囊形成了稳定的球形乳液液滴，具有单分散的尺寸分布、高的比表面积和适度的电正电位。CmQ的包封率分别为56% （Cm）、65% (Q)和46.05±4.78% （Cm）、53.68±4.83% (Q)。纳米包封化合物在体外对铜绿假单胞菌、单核增生李斯特菌、蒙得维的亚沙门氏菌、酿酒酵母以及灰葡萄孢和黑曲霉孢子具有较强的抑菌活性。在草莓中，Cm和Q纳米胶囊在25°C和4°C下分别降低了60%和80%的腐烂率，Cm和Q分别显著降低了3.55±0.20 log CFU/g和1.97±0.35 log CFU/g的好氧细菌。酵母和霉菌数量也分别减少了2.46±0.02 log CFU/g （Cm）和1.43±0.16 log CFU/g (q)。草莓的质量参数（硬度、pH和颜色）在25°C和4°C条件下分别放置5天和15天后保持稳定（P≥0.05）。本研究强调了一种可持续和有效的纳米封装方法，可以延长草莓的微生物保质期，为食品保鲜提供了一个有希望的机会，可以减轻腐败，减少易腐水果和蔬菜的采后损失。

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来源期刊

Journal of food protection 工程技术-生物工程与应用微生物

CiteScore

4.20

自引率

5.00%

发文量

296

审稿时长

2.5 months

期刊介绍： The Journal of Food Protection® (JFP) is an international, monthly scientific journal in the English language published by the International Association for Food Protection (IAFP). JFP publishes research and review articles on all aspects of food protection and safety. Major emphases of JFP are placed on studies dealing with: Tracking, detecting (including traditional, molecular, and real-time), inactivating, and controlling food-related hazards, including microorganisms (including antibiotic resistance), microbial (mycotoxins, seafood toxins) and non-microbial toxins (heavy metals, pesticides, veterinary drug residues, migrants from food packaging, and processing contaminants), allergens and pests (insects, rodents) in human food, pet food and animal feed throughout the food chain; Microbiological food quality and traditional/novel methods to assay microbiological food quality; Prevention of food-related hazards and food spoilage through food preservatives and thermal/non-thermal processes, including process validation; Food fermentations and food-related probiotics; Safe food handling practices during pre-harvest, harvest, post-harvest, distribution and consumption, including food safety education for retailers, foodservice, and consumers; Risk assessments for food-related hazards; Economic impact of food-related hazards, foodborne illness, food loss, food spoilage, and adulterated foods; Food fraud, food authentication, food defense, and foodborne disease outbreak investigations.