Effects of tea polyphenol and EDC/NHS cross-linking treatments on the storage quality of ready-to-eat sea cucumbers at room temperature: Insights into the underlying interaction mechanisms.

Ready-to-eat sea cucumbers (RSC) cannot be preserved at room temperature due to severe autolysis. This study systematically examined the quality-preserving effects of tea polyphenol (TP) and N-(3-Dimethylaminopropyl)-N'-ethylcarbodiimide hydrochloride/N-hydroxysuccinimide (EDC/NHS), two cross-linking treatments, on RSC during storage at room temperature. The results demonstrated that both cross-linking treatments significantly delayed the deterioration of quality and exhibited antimicrobial effects, accompanied by enhanced the structural and thermal stability of collagen in RSC. Microstructural analysis further confirmed that TP and EDC/NHS strengthened the collagen fibers. Molecular docking simulations suggested that TP interacts with collagen primarily through non-covalent binding, whereas EDC/NHS achieves positional localization via electrostatic attraction, subsequently reinforcing the collagen structure through covalent amide bonds. Both strategies effectively slowed the deterioration of RSC during storage at room temperature, thereby providing a theoretical foundation for the development of advanced preservation technologies for RSC.