Pectin-coated liposomes for pectinase-triggered thymol release: A novel on-demand sterilization approach for orange preservation

To reduce food contamination caused by foodborne pathogens, improve encapsulation stability and targeting efficacy of antimicrobial agents, and minimize the required dosage, we developed a pectin-coated liposome containing thymol (Thy@Lip@Pec). The pectin shell of this formulation can be enzymatically degraded by pectinase secreted by fungi, thereby triggering the on-demand release of thymol. Under the action of pectinase at 1.0 mg/mL, this formulation released 76.45 % of thymol within 6 h. Thy@Lip@Pec treatment significantly inhibited Aspergillus niger and Penicillium spp. colonies on agar plates. Moreover, while maintaining quality indicators of oranges, Thy@Lip@Pec significantly suppressed postharvest diseases caused by A. niger and Penicillium spp., reducing the decay incidences of A. niger from 80.00 % (control) to 6.67 %, and that of Penicillium spp. from 93.33 % (control) to 33.34 % in artificially inoculated oranges. This on-demand release antimicrobial material system represents an advanced and efficient strategy for food preservation.