Contactless and Biosafe Freshness Protection Package\nConsists of Geraniol@<i>β</i>‑cyclodextrin\nMOF Complex for Emperor Banana Storage

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