Synergistic antibacterial system for beef preservation: alginate/carboxymethyl cellulose aerogel-loaded with oregano essential oil.

BACKGROUND

As an important protein source for consumers, meat is susceptible to microbial contamination during transportation and storage, leading to spoilage and significant food waste. To address this challenge, this study aimed to develop a synergistic antibacterial system to enhance meat preservation efficacy, focusing on the design of a sodium alginate/carboxymethyl cellulose composite aerogel incorporated with oregano essential oil (OEO).

RESULTS

Structural characterization results showed that the prepared sodium alginate/carboxymethyl cellulose-OEO composite aerogel exhibited an excellent porous structure, high water absorption capacity, and favorable thermal stability. When placed beneath beef samples, the aerogel exerted dual functions of absorbing excess exudate and enabling sustained release of OEO. Antibacterial and antioxidant assays revealed that the C/A-4% and C/A-8% aerogel groups demonstrated remarkable synergistic antibacterial activity and antioxidant capacity. Further beef preservation tests confirmed that the aerogel system effectively maintained beef quality by synergistically inhibiting microbial proliferation, retarding protein oxidation, and mitigating lipid oxidation.

CONCLUSION

This study successfully developed a novel preservation system based on an aerogel-OEO synergistic antibacterial strategy. The sodium alginate/carboxymethyl cellulose-OEO composite aerogel integrates the dual advantages of physical exudate absorption and sustained bioactive OEO release, which can effectively inhibit microbial growth and proliferation, thereby significantly extending the shelf life of beef. Overall, this composite aerogel system demonstrates considerable potential for application in beef preservation. © 2026 Society of Chemical Industry.