Sustainable bioactive films from sericin and carbon quantum dots: A green approach to smart food packaging

초록

The increasing environmental burden of petroleum-based plastics has strengthened the demand for sustainable, biodegradable, and multifunctional materials in the food packaging industry. In this study, we developed a novel biologically active film by combining fructose-mediated Maillard crosslinking and sericin-derived carbon quantum dots (S-CQDs) within a sericin matrix. The Maillard reaction strengthened the film structure through covalent bonding and producing antioxidant melanoidin compounds. S-CQDs synthesized via a green hydrothermal route contributed additional functions such as enhanced mechanical strength, radical scavenging activity, and water barrier performance. The resulting composite films significantly improved tensile strength, elongation, ultraviolet protection, and water resistance compared to pure sericin films. The Fru/C exhibited excellent antioxidant activity in both DPPH and ABTS assays, and the highest preservation performance among the examined films when applied to fresh fruits, effectively minimizing weight loss and visual spoilage. These results demonstrated a synergistic strategy to convert silk industry byproducts into multifunctional packaging films through environmentally friendly processes, providing a promising platform for next-generation sustainable food packaging.

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