A green self-assembled hydrogel developed from glycyrrhizic acid and berberine for shelf-life extension and flavor quality preservation of strawberry fruits.

To address challenges in fruit preservation, a sprayable hydrogel with aggregation-induced emission (AIE) activity was developed through the self-assembly of glycyrrhizic acid (GA) and berberine (BBR). Its formation mechanism and microstructure were elucidated by rheology, microscopy, spectroscopy, and molecular dynamics simulation. The hydrogel exhibited antioxidant activity via a stimulus-responsive release behavior, in which GA dominated under hydrophobic conditions, while the gradual release of BBR enhanced efficacy under hydrophilic conditions. Sustained antimicrobial performance was also achieved, prolonging the activity of free BBR over 12-24 h. Against Rhizopus stolonifer, the hydrogel maintained an inhibition rate of about 70% after 65 h, whereas free BBR decreased to below 10%. Integrating near-infrared spectroscopy (NIR), electronic nose (E-nose), and headspace solid-phase microextraction gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC-MS) analyses further demonstrated that the hydrogel effectively preserved key fresh flavor compounds in strawberries, highlighting its potential as an eco-friendly and multifunctional preservation system.