UiO-66(Zr) MOF enhances pH sensitivity of carboxymethyl fiber colorimetric films incorporated with anthocyanins for monitoring fish freshness

Weibo Lu; Huangwei Ye; Yike Zhu; Yuhan Li; Huan Li; Qing Shen; Jian Chen

doi:10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2025.145599

UiO-66(Zr) MOF enhances pH sensitivity of carboxymethyl fiber colorimetric films incorporated with anthocyanins for monitoring fish freshness

Int J Biol Macromol. 2025 Jun 26:145599. doi: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2025.145599. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Weibo Lu¹, Huangwei Ye², Yike Zhu³, Yuhan Li³, Huan Li³, Qing Shen⁴, Jian Chen⁵

Affiliations

¹ Collaborative Innovation Center of Seafood Deep Processing, Zhejiang Province Joint Key Laboratory of Aquatic Products Processing, Institute of Seafood, Zhejiang Gongshang University, Hangzhou 310018, China.
² Shusheng Key Laboratory of Medical Chemical Pharmaceutical Research, Ningbo Second Hormone Factory, Ningbo, China.
³ Food Safety Key Laboratory of Zhejiang Province, School of Food Science and Biotechnology, Zhejiang Gongshang University, Hangzhou 310018, China.
⁴ Collaborative Innovation Center of Seafood Deep Processing, Zhejiang Province Joint Key Laboratory of Aquatic Products Processing, Institute of Seafood, Zhejiang Gongshang University, Hangzhou 310018, China. Electronic address: leonqshen@163.com.
⁵ Collaborative Innovation Center of Seafood Deep Processing, Zhejiang Province Joint Key Laboratory of Aquatic Products Processing, Institute of Seafood, Zhejiang Gongshang University, Hangzhou 310018, China. Electronic address: chenjian@mail.zjgsu.edu.cn.

PMID: 40581002
DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2025.145599

Abstract

The non-destructive, real-time, and visual assessment of fish freshness is crucial for maintaining food quality and safeguarding public health. In this study, a pH-sensitive and colorimetric enhancement film was developed using a carboxymethyl cellulose/anthocyanin/metal-organic framework (CMC-BA-UIO). The concentration of UIO-66 in the film-forming solution significantly influences the mechanical properties and ammonia responsiveness of the indicator film, with the CMC-BA/2.5%UIO-66 variant exhibiting optimal performance. When utilized for real-time fish freshness monitoring at 4 °C, the CMC-BA/2.5%UIO-66 indicator film demonstrated a distinct color transition from purple to yellow, which exhibited a strong correlation with the rot index (TVB-N) of the fish. These findings indicate that the developed indicator film has potential applications in intelligent packaging for monitoring food shelf life, providing a visual alert to producers and consumers regarding food spoilage.

Keywords: Anthocyanin; Colorimetric film; UIO-66.