Synergistic antimicrobial and antioxidant smart packaging enabled by a bio-MOF/ZIF-8 hybrid nanoplatform

This study aimed to develop the first intelligent food packaging film capable of independent and stimuli-responsive dual delivery of a hydrophilic antioxidant and a hydrophobic antimicrobial agent. A hybrid nanoplatform combining naringin-loaded Bio-MOF-11 (bio-metal–organic framework) and rosemary essential oil-loaded ZIF-8 (zeolitic imidazolate framework-8) was incorporated into a biodegradable chitosan–starch matrix together with violet flower anthocyanins as a visual pH indicator. Loading efficiencies reached 88% for naringin and 91% for the essential oil. The system exhibited complementary pH-triggered release profiles: ZIF-8 provided burst release of the essential oil at pH 2.0 (1.30 mg/g in 30 days) through framework degradation, whereas Bio-MOF-11 suppressed naringin release at acidic pH (0.35 mg/g) and accelerated it at alkaline pH via electrostatic repulsion. The resulting films displayed tensile strength of 25–27 MPa, water vapor permeability (WVP) of 2.3–2.6 × 10 -7 g s -1 m -1 Pa -1 , oxygen permeability below 10 cm 3 m -2 24 h -1 (normalized to 1 atm partial pressure difference), and distinct halochromic color change (ΔE > 12). Synergistic antimicrobial activity (>99.5% inhibition against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus ) and antioxidant capacity (>85% in DPPH, ABTS, and FRAP assays extended strawberry shelf life by more than 100% compared to controls, outperforming the best single-MOF systems reported in 2024–2025 by 30–50%. • evaluation of smart membranes containing Bio-MOF (adenine), naringin, ZIF-8, and nanoemulsions of plant essential oils. • The membrane matrix consists of chitosan and starch • This hybrid system generates synergistic antioxidant and antimicrobial effects through smart