Construction of natural dual-crosslinked self-healing hydrogels consisting of tannic acid and polysaccharides for postharvest preservation of strawberries.

This study constructed a self-healing polyphenol-polysaccharide hydrogel with dual physicochemical crosslinking using OCMS, CMCS, QCS, and TA. The initial network was established through Schiff base reactions between OCMS and CMCS, while the introduction of QCS and TA added extra intermolecular interactions to enhance the hydrogel structure. The exceptional antioxidant and antibacterial properties were confirmed through a series of experiments involving the scavenging activity against DPPH and ABTS free radicals and broad-spectrum antimicrobial efficacy against E. coli, S. aureus, and C. albicans. Additionally, by analyzing related phenomena such as cell viability above 90%, hemolysis rates below 5%, and no adverse effects on the growth of bean sprouts, the hydrogel showed favorable biocompatibility. When the hydrogel was applied as a coating for strawberry preservation, the fruit decay rate, weight loss, and quality deterioration were significantly ameliorated. These results indicated that this hydrogel is a promising multifunctional coating material for postharvest fruit preservation.