Investigation of the Release Mechanism and Mould Resistance of Citral-Loaded Bamboo Strips

In the present study, the sustained-release system loading citral was synthesised by using PNIPAm nanohydrogel as a carrier and analysed its drug-release kinetics and mechanism. Four release models, namely zero-order, first-order, Higuchi, and Peppas, were employed to fit the experimental data, and the underlying action mechanism was analysed. The optimised system was applied to treat a bamboo mould, followed by assessment of the mould-proof performance. Our experimental results revealed that the release kinetics equation of the system conformed to the first order; the higher the external temperature, the better the match was. In the release process, PNIPAm demonstrated a good protection and sustained-release effect on citral. Under the pressure of 0.5 MPa, immersion time of 120 min, and the system concentration ratio of 1, the optimal drug-loading parameters were obtained using the slow-release system with the best release parameters. Compared to the other conditions, bamboos treated with pressure impregnation demonstrated a better control effect on bamboo mould, while the control effect onPenicillium citrinum,Trichoderma viride,Aspergillus niger, and mixed mould was 100% after 28 days. Moreover, the structure and colour of bamboo remained unchanged during the entire process of mould control.Keywords:nanohydrogels;citral;sustained-release;mechanism;bamboo;anti-mould