Tannic acid-derived selective capture of bacteria from apple juice

•Tannic acid functionalized virus-like Fe3O4 captures Gram-positive bacteria quickly.•Peptidoglycan fragments interact with tannic acid.•Viral-like structure enhances bacterial attachment and adhesion.•Magnetic attraction separates bacteria from apple juice, preventing bacterial residue.•vFe3O4-TA didn’t affect juice’s SSC, color, titratable acidity and transmittance. Given the enormous burden pathogens pose on human health, rapid capture and removal of bacteria for sterilization or further bacterial detection is essential. Herein, tannic acid-functionalized virus-like Fe3O4 (vFe3O4-TA) was established for bacterial enrichment. We investigated the ability of vFe3O4-TA to capture Gram-negative bacteria (E. coli, S. flex and S. typhi) and Gram-positive bacteria (S. aureus, MRSA and LM), respectively. Compared to the capture efficiency of 87 % removal efficiency. GFN-xTB semiempirical quantum chemical calculations revealed that the selective recognition originates from the high affinity between TA and peptidoglycan. Without impacting ingredients, the TA-mediated trapper also shows excellent ability to distinguish Gram-positive bacteria in juice samples. These results are expected to reveal the interaction of TA with bacteria, and inaugurate a potential natural safe tool for food safety control, medical treatment and environmental remediation.