Centrifugally spun gelatin nanofibers incorporated with red cabbage extract and ZIF-8 for colorimetric monitoring of fish freshness

Food Chem. 2026 Apr 15;508(Pt B):148470. doi: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2026.148470. Epub 2026 Feb 18.

Abstract

Gelatin nanofibers (NFs) (≈400 nm) incorporating red cabbage extract (RE) and zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8) were fabricated via centrifugal spinning for real-time monitoring of fish freshness. The aim was to develop a colorimetric indicator responsive to spoilage-related volatile amine compounds. Incorporation of ZIF-8 increased the specific surface area of the NFs from 7.4 to 16.6 m2/g, enhancing their responsiveness to ammonia vapor while the gelatin matrix remained predominantly amorphous and its thermal stability was unchanged. The indicators showed rapid and reversible pink-to-green color changes, with the optimized GRE/ZIF100 formulation exhibiting a visible response within 5 min. Stable colorimetric performance was maintained during 28 days of refrigerated storage. The NFs successfully detected spoilage of Black Sea anchovies under refrigerated (5 days) and ambient (30h) conditions, with color changes correlating well with TVB-N and TVC values. These results demonstrate the potential of ZIF-8-doped gelatin nanofibers as freshness indicators for protein-rich foods.

Keywords: Centrifugal spinning; Colorimetric indicator; Fish spoilage monitoring; Intelligent packaging; ZIF-8.

Publication types

  • Evaluation Study

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Brassica* / chemistry
  • Colorimetry* / instrumentation
  • Colorimetry* / methods
  • Fishes
  • Gelatin* / chemistry
  • Nanofibers* / chemistry
  • Plant Extracts* / chemistry
  • Seafood* / analysis
  • Zeolites* / chemistry

Substances

  • Gelatin
  • Plant Extracts
  • Zeolites