In situ growth of defective ZIF-8 on TEMPO-oxidized cellulose nanofibrils for rapid response release of curcumin in food preservation

Carbohydr Polym. 2025 Mar 1:351:123091. doi: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2024.123091. Epub 2024 Nov 30.

Abstract

Uncontrolled release of active agents in active packaging reduces antimicrobial efficacy, hindering the effective protection of perishable products from microbial infection. Herein, a novel defective engineering was proposed to design defective and hollow ZIF-8 structures grown on TEMPO oxidized cellulose nanofibrils (TOCNFs) and use them as fast-reacting nanocarriers for loading and controlled release curcumin (Cur) in sodium alginate (SA) active packaging systems (CZT-Cur-SA). By employing stable chelation between tannic acid (TA) and ZIF-8 zinc ions, the connections between zinc ions and imidazole ligands were severed to form a loose and hollow structure, which facilitates the rapid reaction and release of active ingredients triggered by pH changes in the microenvironment. Kinetic tests showed CZT-Cur-SA films released 65.68 % of Cur at pH 6.0 within 24 h, compared to 28.26 % at pH 7.0. These films demonstrated exhibited excellent mechanical properties, antioxidation capacity (82.59 %), reinforced moisture (0.51 × 10-10 g m-1 s-1 Pa-1) and satisfied antimicrobial effects on E. coli (1.69 %) and S. aureus (0.88 %). The optimized CZT-Cur-SA film extended strawberry shelf life to at least 7 days under ambient conditions. Our findings introduce a promising approach to designing responsive, biodegradable active packaging for enhanced food safety.

Keywords: Active packaging; ZIF-8 nanoparticles; pH-responsive release.

MeSH terms

  • Alginates / chemistry
  • Alginates / pharmacology
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / chemistry
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / pharmacology
  • Antioxidants / chemistry
  • Antioxidants / pharmacology
  • Cellulose / chemistry
  • Cellulose / pharmacology
  • Cellulose, Oxidized / chemistry
  • Cellulose, Oxidized / pharmacology
  • Curcumin* / chemistry
  • Curcumin* / pharmacology
  • Cyclic N-Oxides* / chemistry
  • Drug Liberation
  • Escherichia coli* / drug effects
  • Food Packaging* / methods
  • Food Preservation* / methods
  • Hydrogen-Ion Concentration
  • Imidazoles / chemistry
  • Imidazoles / pharmacology
  • Metal-Organic Frameworks* / chemistry
  • Metal-Organic Frameworks* / pharmacology
  • Nanofibers* / chemistry
  • Staphylococcus aureus* / drug effects
  • Tannins / chemistry
  • Tannins / pharmacology

Substances

  • Curcumin
  • TEMPO
  • Cyclic N-Oxides
  • Metal-Organic Frameworks
  • Alginates
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents
  • Cellulose, Oxidized
  • Imidazoles
  • ZIF-8 metal-organic framework
  • Cellulose
  • Antioxidants
  • Tannins