Preparation and application of thyme essential oil@halloysite nanotubes-loaded multifunctional pullulan/gelatin/PVA aerogels

Blueberries are susceptible to microbial contamination and mechanical damage after harvesting, thereby accelerating their quality deterioration. Therefore, in the present work, thyme essential oil@halloysite nanotubes (TEO@HNTs)-loaded pullulan/gelatin/PVA (PGP) aerogels with antimicrobial activities and cushioning properties were developed to address these issues. The results showed that TEO achieved a 91.1 % encapsulation efficiency in HNTs and hydrogen bonding interactions were formed between TEO and HNTs. TEO@HNTs improved the crystallinity, thermal stability, compression properties, and surface hydrophobicity of the PGP aerogels. The TEO@HNTs-loaded aerogels exhibited a sustained release of TEO and antimicrobial activity against E. coli (inhibition zone of 13.92 mm), S. aureus (inhibition zone of 16.55 mm), and B. cinerea . Moreover, the aerogels offered good cushioning for blueberries when subjected to mechanical impact, thus maintaining their quality during storage. In addition, cell cytotoxicity analysis showed that cell viability exceeded 94 %, indicating the excellent biocompatibility of the TEO@HNTs-loaded aerogels. The above results suggested promising prospects for the development of a multifunctional aerogel to maintain the quality of food products, such as blueberries, which are susceptible to microbial contamination and mechanical damage.