Vargas-Ramella Márcio, Echegaray Noemí, Campagnol Paulo Cezar Bastianello, Lorenzo José Manuel
Centro de Educação Superior da Região Sul-CERES, Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade do Estado de Santa Catarina-UDESC, Laguna 88790-000, Santa Catarina, Brazil.
Centro Tecnológico de la Carne de Galicia, 32900 Ourense, Spain.
Foods. 2025 Jun 26;14(13):2255. doi: 10.3390/foods14132255.
The global demand for sustainable packaging and animal-derived products' perishability emphasizes the urgent need for biodegradable alternatives to petroleum-based materials (i.e., synthetic polymers or plastic). This narrative review explores the recent advancements in natural polymer-based coatings, comprising ingredients such as polysaccharides, proteins, and lipids, as well as their combination as multifunctional strategies for preserving meat, dairy, seafood, and eggs. These coatings act as physical barriers and can carry bioactive compounds, enhancing oxidative and microbial stability. Particular attention is placed on the structure-function relationships of biopolymers, their characterization through advanced techniques (e.g., Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy-FTIR, Scanning Electron Microscope-SEM, Differential Scanning Calorimetry-DSC, and Thermogravimetric analysis-TGA), and their functional properties (e.g., antimicrobial and antioxidant efficacy). Notably, food matrix compatibility is pivotal in determining coating performance, as interactions with surface moisture, pH, and lipids can modulate preservation outcomes. While several formulations have demonstrated promising results in shelf-life extension and sensory quality preservation, challenges remain regarding coating uniformity, regulatory compliance, and scalability. This narrative review highlights current limitations and future directions for the industrial application of these sustainable materials, aiming to link the gap between laboratory success and commercial feasibility.
全球对可持续包装的需求以及动物源产品的易腐性凸显了迫切需要以可生物降解材料替代石油基材料（即合成聚合物或塑料）。本叙述性综述探讨了基于天然聚合物的涂层的最新进展，这些涂层包含多糖、蛋白质和脂质等成分，以及它们作为保存肉类、乳制品、海鲜和蛋类的多功能策略的组合。这些涂层起到物理屏障的作用，并可携带生物活性化合物，增强氧化稳定性和微生物稳定性。特别关注生物聚合物的结构-功能关系、通过先进技术（如傅里叶变换红外光谱-FTIR、扫描电子显微镜-SEM、差示扫描量热法-DSC和热重分析-TGA）对其进行的表征，以及它们的功能特性（如抗菌和抗氧化功效）。值得注意的是，食品基质的兼容性对于确定涂层性能至关重要，因为与表面水分、pH值和脂质的相互作用会调节保存效果。虽然几种配方在延长保质期和保持感官品质方面已显示出有希望的结果，但在涂层均匀性、法规合规性和可扩展性方面仍存在挑战。本叙述性综述强调了这些可持续材料在工业应用中的当前局限性和未来方向，旨在弥合实验室成功与商业可行性之间的差距。
