Antimicrobial evaluation of Cardiospermum halicacabum L. leaf fractions and its usage in active bioactive film formation for shelf-life enhancement in fresh-cut fruits

The results indicated that three compounds exhibited higher binding affinities than the reference compounds. The docking scores of Hit 1 (4'-pentylbicyclohexyl-4-carboxamide) were -9.57 and -16.33 kcal/mol, Hit 2 (2-formyl-9-[beta-d-ribofuranosyl] hypoxanthine) were -10.95 and -15.00 kcal/mol, and Hit 3 (2-hydroxymethyl-9-[beta-d-ribofuranosyl] hypoxanthine) were -11.18 and -14.80 kcal/mol against the respective target proteins. Moreover, the overall bioactive fraction was used to develop the Chi/Pec/CF film as a packaging material, and it was evaluated for extending the shelf life of fresh apple slices stored for 6 days at 4 °C. Overall, the results highlight the potential of these composite films as promising food packaging materials owing to their antimicrobial, antioxidative, and biodegradable properties.