Posted by This study developed a novel THY@β-CD/PO composite coating that significantly enhances blueberry preservation. The core innovation involves microencapsulating THY within β-CD—at an optimal wall-to-core ratio of 13:1, yielding 73.24% encapsulation efficiency—to achieve sustained release via Fickian diffusion kinetics (R2 = 0.998), thereby overcoming the volatility and uncontrolled release limitations associated with direct THY incorporation. A 10 wt% loading of microcapsules into the PO matrix produced a transparent, hydrophilic coating that effectively reduced decay incidence by 47.3%, preserved 31% of firmness, and lowered weight loss by 33.4% relative to uncoated fruit over 10 days. Nevertheless, limitations persist, including a broad particle size distribution (PDI 0.68–0.73), which may affect release homogeneity and storage stability, as well as challenges related to production cost, scalability, and generalizability to other fruit varieties. Future research should aim to improve microcapsule uniformity, evaluate economic feasibility and scaling potential, and assess the environmental impact of coating residues.
Li, X.; Liu, Y.; Zheng, J.; Zhu, X.; Fang, W.; Lei, S.; Zhuang, W.; Wu, J.; Hao, T.; You, S.; et al. β-Cyclodextrin/Thymol Microcapsule-Embedded Starch Coatings for Synchronized Antimicrobial Release and Shelf-Life Extension in Blueberries. Foods 2025, 14, 3132. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods14173132