Development of 3-decen-2-one/HP-β-CD Inclusion Complex with Enhanced Stability and Its Application for Potato Postharvest Preservation.

3-Decen-2-one is a promising natural potato sprout suppressant, but its high volatility, poor stability and low water solubility severely restrict its practical application. To overcome these drawbacks, a 3-decen-2-one/hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (HP-β-CD) inclusion complex with a 1:1 host-guest molar ratio was successfully prepared via the co-evaporation method, and the stability constant was calculated to be 596.43 M-1 by phase solubility studies. Molecular modeling demonstrated that the inclusion complex was primarily stabilized by van der Waals interactions, and the optimal binding conformation was that the alkyl chain of 3-decen-2-one inserted into the cavity from the wider rim of HP-β-CD. The inclusion complex was further characterized by 1H NMR, FT-IR, TG, and SEM. 3-Decen-2-one showed a better water solubility, thermal stability and release properties after complexation. In the potato storage evaluation, the complex exhibited greater sprout inhibition than free 3-decen-2-one; effectively reduced weight loss, the respiration rate, and MDA accumulation; and maintained a higher Vc and lower reducing sugar levels. Therefore, the obtained inclusion complex is a promising approach to stabilize and achieve the sustained release of 3-decen-2-one as a natural sprout inhibitor for potato storage.