Edible superhydrophobic coating derived from triterpenoid maslinic acid for bacterial antifouling and enhanced fresh produce food safety

This study introduces an edible superhydrophobic coating for fresh produce derived from triterpenoid maslinic acid (MA), a natural plant compound renowned for its health benefits including antioxidant, antitumor, and anti-inflammatory properties. The study takes advantage of the amphiphilic nature of MA, forming vesicles in aqueous media. Upon deposition onto the substrate, these vesicles contribute to surface roughness, resulting in a nanotextured morphology with nonpolar outer surface. Static water contact angle of MA coatings was 151.6 ± 0.8°, indicating superhydrophobic behavior exhibiting promising bacterial antifouling characteristics with 98.6%, 96.7% and 97.5% reduction against E. coli, Salmonella and Listeria, respectively, compared to uncoated surfaces (i.e., onion skin). The development of edible, superhydrophobic coatings for application on fresh produce advances current fruit and vegetable wax technologies, mostly used for cosmetic and physical barrier purposes rather than more functional ones. Using assembled MA coatings combining superhydrophobicity and health benefits, emerges as an novel and sustainable solution for advancing both fresh produce safety and human well-being.