Carboxymethyl chitosan coating infused with linalool-loaded molten globular β-Lactoglobulin nanoparticles for extended preservation of fresh-cut apples

[Display omitted] •MG-BLGNPs with different unfolding structures can be induced by heating and SDS.•LN can be loaded into MG-BLGNPs without altering their MG state to form MG-BLG@LN.•Unfolding degree of MG-BLGNPs is associated with enhanced binding and loading of LN.•CMC coatings embedded with MG-BLG@LN show great mechanical and adhesive properties.•MG-BLG@LN/CMC coating effectively mitigate quality deterioration in fresh-cut apples. This investigation employed molten globule state β-lactoglobulin nanoparticles (MG-BLGNPs) for encapsulating linalool (LN) combined with carboxymethyl chitosan (CMC) coating to enhance the shelf-life of fresh-cut apples. The effect of different MG structures on the encapsulation efficiency of BLGNPs and the properties of coating was studied. Structural characterization and molecular simulation showed structural differences between heat-induced MG state (70-BLGNPs, heated at 70 °C for 1 h) and sodium dodecyl sulfate-co-heat-induced MG state (SDS/70-BLGNPs, treated with 0.192 mg/mL SDS for 10 min, then heated at 70 °C for 1 h), with the latter being more unfolded. LN self-assembles into MG-BLGNPs, among the generated particles, SDS/70-BLG@LN exhibits stronger binding effect and higher LN loading capacity. Integration of MG-BLG@LN into CMC enhanced coating’s mechanical properties and adhesion to fresh-cut apples. The SDS/70-BLG@LN/CMC coating showed superior preservation on fresh-cut apples during storage, reducing enzymatic browning, membrane lipid oxidation, and microbial growth while maintaining hardness and overall quality.