Antimicrobial EU@Ag-MOF/PLA composite films enhance postharvest quality of strawberries by mitigating oxidative stress and modulating microbial communities

Strawberries are highly perishable fruits susceptible to rapid postharvest deterioration. This study investigated the efficacy of EU@Ag-MOF/PLA composite films for postharvest strawberry preservation. The 3EU@Ag-MOF/PLA formulation demonstrated optimal performance in maintaining physicochemical properties, reducing reactive oxygen species accumulation, and enhancing antioxidant enzyme activities. Notably, this composite film suppressed hydrogen peroxide, superoxide anion, and malondialdehyde content by 28.44 %, 37.33 %, and 29.91 %, respectively, compared to control packaging after 10 days. Pathogen challenge studies with Botrytis cinerea and Rhizopus stolonifer revealed that this composite effectively balances reactive oxygen species production and scavenging mechanisms during storage. High-throughput sequencing showed that 3EU@Ag-MOF/PLA packaging preserved more balanced microbial community structures and dramatically reduced the relative abundance of pathogenic fungi by day 10. These findings demonstrate that 3EU@Ag-MOF/PLA composite film represent a promising active packaging solution for extending the shelf life of highly perishable fruits by simultaneously addressing fungal proliferation, oxidative stress, and microbial ecology.