Stretchable, antifatigue, and intelligent nanocellulose hydrogel colorimetric film for real-time visual detection of beef freshness

Kejin Yu; Lina Yang; Siyu Zhang; Ning Zhang; Mengxi Xie; Miao Yu

doi:10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.131602

Stretchable, antifatigue, and intelligent nanocellulose hydrogel colorimetric film for real-time visual detection of beef freshness

Int J Biol Macromol. 2024 Apr 16;268(Pt 1):131602. doi: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.131602. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Kejin Yu¹, Lina Yang², Siyu Zhang¹, Ning Zhang¹, Mengxi Xie³, Miao Yu³

Affiliations

¹ College of Food Science and Technology, Bohai University, Jinzhou, Liaoning 121013, China.
² College of Food Science and Technology, Bohai University, Jinzhou, Liaoning 121013, China. Electronic address: yangln10@lzu.edu.cn.
³ Food and Processing Research Institute, Liaoning Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenyang, Liaoning 110161, China.

PMID: 38626836
DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.131602

Abstract

The use of biopolymers as matrices and anthocyanins as pH-sensing indicators has generated increasing interest in freshness detection. Nevertheless, the weak mechanical properties and color stability of biopolymer-based smart packaging systems restrict their practicality. In this study, a nanocellulose hydrogel colorimetric film with enhanced stretchability, antifatigue properties, and color stability was prepared using soy hull nanocellulose (SHNC), polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), sodium alginate (SA), and anthocyanin (Anth) as raw materials. This hydrogel colorimetric film was used to detect beef freshness. The structure and properties (e.g., mechanical, thermal stability and hydrophobicity) of these hydrogel colorimetric films were characterized using different techniques. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy revealed the presence of hydrogen and ester bonds in the hydrogel colorimetric films, whereas scanning electron microscopy revealed the fish scale-like and honeycomb network structure of the hydrogel colorimetric films. Mechanical testing demonstrated that the SHNC/PVA/SA/Anth-2 hydrogel colorimetric film exhibited excellent tensile properties (elongation = 261 %), viscoelasticity (storage modulus of 11.25 kPa), and mechanical strength (tensile strength = 154 kPa), and the hydrogel colorimetric film exhibited excellent mechanical properties after repeated tensile tests. Moreover, the hydrogel colorimetric film had high transparency, excellent anti-UV linearity, thermal stability and hydrophobicity, and had displayed visually discernible color response to pH buffer solution and volatile NH₃ by naked eyes, which was highly correlated with the TVB-N and pH values. Notably, the release of anthocyanin in distilled water decreased from 81.23 % to 19.87 %. The designed SHNC/PVA/SA/Anth hydrogel colorimetric films exhibited potential application as smart packaging film or gas-sensing labels in monitoring the freshness of meat products.

Keywords: Antifatigue; Hydrogel colorimetric film; Mechanical property; Nanocellulose; Smart packaging system.