Recently, a research team led by doctoral candidate Feng Na from our university, under the guidance of Professor Yan Luke, has published a paper titled "Preserving fruit freshness with amyloid-like protein coatings" in Nature Communications (CAS Q1 Top Journal, IF 14.7), a leading international journal in materials science. Professor Yan Luke serves as a co-corresponding author of the study.
Globally, the significant postharvest losses of perishable fruits during storage, transportation, and sales make effectively extending shelf life crucial for ensuring food security, reducing food waste, and promoting sustainable agricultural development. Current fruit preservation technologies still face three major challenges: (1) The waxy layer on the hydrophobic surface of fruit peels hinders effective wetting by aqueous preservative solutions, leading to uneven coating distribution; (2) The chemical composition and microstructure of the epicuticular wax layer vary significantly among different fruits, making it difficult for conventional coatings to achieve broad-spectrum applicability and strong adhesion; (3) The effective integration of multiple preservative components is challenging, obstructing the realization of synergistic effects where "the whole is greater than the sum of its parts."To address these issues, this study developed a sustainable amyloid-like protein (ALP) coating. Molecular dynamics simulations demonstrated that the ALP coating exhibits strong adhesive stability on fruit epicuticular wax. Through synergistic interaction with sodium alginate (SA) and cellulose nanocrystals (CNC), the film-forming ability and gas barrier properties of the coating were further enhanced.This ALP coating not only significantly inhibits microbial growth but also reduces water loss by 33%-69%, retains 60%-98% of nutrients, and slows the fruit deterioration rate. It can be widely applied for postharvest and fresh-cut fruit preservation, extending the shelf life by 2 to 5 times. Furthermore, the coating is biosafe and easily removable, ensuring edibility and washability. With a processing cost of only RMB 0.65 per kilogram of fruit, it presents a practical solution to global food waste and offers a new pathway for promoting green and sustainable food preservation technologies.
Paperlink：https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-60382-4
