Synergistic silver-decorated zero-valent iron urushiol-polylactic acid nanocomposite films with dual antimicrobial and antioxidant functionality for prolonged fresh-cut apple preservation

In this study, urushiol (U1) and its antiseptics (U2, U3)-functionalized silver-coated nanoscale zero-valent iron composites (Ag@ZVI NPs1–3) were synthesized through metal coordination-driven assembly. The optimized NPs demonstrated significant antioxidant capacity, exhibiting IC 50 values of 18.28 ± 0.75 μg/mL (DPPH) and 15.62 ± 0.22 μg/mL (ABTS), alongside broad-spectrum antibacterial activity with MIC values ranging from 3.27 to 7.26 μg/mL. Subsequent incorporation of 2 wt% NPs3 into polylactic acid (PLA) matrices yielded nanocomposite films (2%NPs3/PLA) with enhanced physicochemical properties, including improved thermal stability (melting enthalpy ΔHm = 31.6 J·g −1 ), superior mechanical strength (tensile strength 71.0 MPa, elongation at break 13.4 %), and controlled hydrophilicity (water vapor permeability 0.26 ± 0.14 g·mm·m −2 ·h −1 ·kPa −1 , doubling PLA's baseline performance). The composite films exhibited dual functional efficacy, demonstrating sustained radical scavenging capacity (56.29 ± 1.26 % DPPH, 57.26 ± 2.28 % ABTS) and Fenton reaction-mediated bactericidal activity (99 % bacterial inactivation within 60 min via H₂O₂-catalyzed hydroxyl radical generation). The 2%NPs3/PLA nanocomposite showed remarkable biocompatibility (>97 % LO2 cell viability) and significantly improved the preservation of fresh-cut apples, outperforming commercial polyethylene films. This shelf-life extension is attributed to the synergistic antioxidant and antimicrobial effects, which likely contribute to the maintenance of key quality parameters.