A novel edible, all-biomass Pickering emulsion coating based on Lys/Alg composite nanoparticles for curcumin delivery and active fruit preservation

A stable food-grade amphiphilic Lys/Alg nanoparticle emulsifier was prepared by double crosslinking. • An Edible, all-biomass-derived multifunctional Pickering emulsion was successfully developed via simple emulsification. • The Lys/Alg served as effective Pickering stabilizer enhanced the stability and bioavailability of curcumin. • The developed emulsion exhibited high antioxidant properties (99.02%) and broad-spectrum antibacterial activity. • The shelf life of various fruits was effectively extended by the emulsion coating. The integration of nano-encapsulation with edible coatings holds great potential for active fruit preservation. However, conventional emulsions often rely on chemical surfactants, posing safety risks and limited functionality. Here, we developed an edible, all-biomass-derived Pickering emulsion (CLAPE) coating stabilized by amphiphilic lysozyme/alginate composite nanoparticles (Lys/Alg). The Lys/Alg were fabricated through electrostatic self-assembly followed by Ca 2+ cross-linking, forming a robust interfacial layer that effectively encapsulates curcumin (Cur). Molecular docking simulations revealed a strong binding affinity between Lys and Cur (binding energy: −87.2 kcal/mol), which significantly enhances the aqueous dispersibility and stability of Cur. The resulting Pickering emulsion enables sustained release of curcumin over 60 h, with a peak cumulative release of 94.0%, approximately twice that of the unencapsulated control. This release profile follows Fickian diffusion, extending the bioactive duration and increasing the total released amount, thereby enhancing curcumin's bioavailability. Moreover, CLAPE exhibits excellent thermal stability, maintaining high stability indices under varied accelerated storage conditions. It also exhibited high antioxidant (99.02%) and broad-spectrum antibacterial activity. Additionally, the application of CLAPE on strawberries, bananas and grapes has led to a doubling of their shelf life while maintaining the freshness and nutrient content of the fruits. The edible active preservative material, based entirely on biomass, not only forms a multifunctional protective coating that prevents spoilage but can also be easily washed off. This study presents an innovative strategy for the designs of active preservation materials utilizing all-natural plant-derived components. Download: Download high-res image (495KB) Download: Download full-size image