Marine macroalgae–derived glyceroglycolipid composite films for enhanced strawberry preservation with multifunctional bioactivities

This study addresses the need for natural alternatives to synthetic food preservatives and packaging. It aimed to extract glyceroglycolipids from three marine macroalgae— Durvillaea antarctica , Sarcodia ceylonensis , and Sargassum pallidum —and evaluate their potential as multifunctional additives for food preservation. Extraction was optimized via a Box-Behnken design combined with a genetic algorithm–backpropagation neural network, achieving a highest yield of 15% (relative to dry weight). Structural analysis confirmed the presence of monogalactosyldiacylglycerol, sulfoquinovosyldiacylglycerol, and digalactosyldiacylglycerol. The extracts exhibited significant functional properties, including moisture absorption (43.65%), moisture retention (72% after 72 h), antioxidant capacity, and antibacterial effects. When incorporated into composite films, the glyceroglycolipids enabled the material to maintain stable tensile strength and gas permeability for over 10 days while showing strong antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli , Staphylococcus aureus , and Bacillus cereus . In a practical strawberry preservation test, the films, particularly those with D. antarctica extract, effectively delayed decay, preserved firmness, and inhibited microbial growth, extending the shelf life by six days compared to conventional polyethylene packaging. This work demonstrates that marine algal glyceroglycolipids are highly effective, eco-friendly additives for active packaging, offering a sustainable solution to reduce food waste. • Glyceroglycolipid yield from the three macroalgae reached 15.31%. • Three major glyceroglycolipids were identified in purified extracts. • Extracts show strong moisture absorption, retention, antioxidant and antibacterial activities. • Antibacterial activities of glyceroglycolipids were preserved in composite films. • Films containig glyceroglycoplipids extended strawberry shelflife by six days.