Contactless and Biosafe Freshness Protection Package Consists of Geraniol@<i>β</i>-cyclodextrin MOF Complex for Emperor Banana Storage

The infestation of pathogenic microorganisms leads to a decline in fruit quality and reduces their storage time. The existing methods for contact preservation suffer from the issue of migration of harmful ingredients, thus necessitating the development of novel preservation techniques. The present study focuses on the development of a contactless and biosafe solid preservative (GR@β-CD-MOF) by incorporating geraniol (GR, essential oil) into the β-cyclodextrin MOF (β-CD-MOF). The loading rate of geraniol was 210.8 mg/g. The morphology and structure of GR@β-CD-MOF were characterized using SEM, XRD, XPS, and FTIR. Furthermore, we evaluated the in vitro antimicrobial activity of GR@β-CD-MOF against three common food-borne pathogens Escherichia coli (E. coli), Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), and Botrytis cinerea (B. cinerea). Subsequently, the GR@β-CD-MOF was placed into poly(lactic acid) bags to prepare a solid preservative for emperor bananas. In comparison with the control group, the emperor bananas treated with GR@β-CD-MOF exhibited lower decreases in relevant physicochemical parameters including color, weight loss, and soluble solids content. Moreover, the shelf life of emperor bananas was extended up to 8 days. These findings validate the efficacy of GR@β-CD-MOF as a solid preservative for fruit preservation.