Sustainable gelatin–carbon dot hydrogel coatings for fruit preservation: integrating antioxidant and antibacterial activities

Key Points

• Hydrogel coatings improved fruit shelf life, enhancing preservation effectiveness significantly over uncoated fruit.
• The addition of carbon dots resulted in a marked increase in both antioxidant and antibacterial activity levels.
• Assessment includes examining the hydrogel's interactions with fruit surfaces and their preservation-related benefits.
• This highlights the potential for eco-friendly coating solutions in food preservation, with further research needed for application scalability.