Hyaluronic acid-based multifunctional bio-active coating integrated with cinnamaldehyde/hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin inclusion complex for fruit preservation.

Natural preservatives such as cinnamaldehyde (CIN) are garnering increasing interest to replace their synthetic counterparts in maintaining fruit freshness and safety. However, their long-term effectiveness and widespread application have been greatly limited due to high volatility and potent aroma. To address these challenges, we developed a viable and simple strategy to prepare a multifunctional active coating for fruit preservation by incorporating host-guest inclusion complex of CIN and 2-hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (HP-β-CD) CIN@HP-β-CD into hyaluronic acid (HA), a natural polysaccharide with exceptional film-forming properties. The as-prepared HA/CIN@HP-β-CD coatings exhibited universal surface affinity, excellent antimicrobial performance, and satisfactory antioxidant properties with no potential toxicity. Release kinetic studies have demonstrated that CIN in the coating is continuously and slowly released. Furthermore, freshness preservation experiments on bananas and fresh-cut apples demonstrated that the developed coating is effective in preserving the color of fruit, decreasing the weight loss rate, preventing the microorganism's growth, and significantly extending the period of freshness, exhibiting the potential for application in fruit preservation.