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A triple-responsive smart controlled-release system for antifungal volatiles: toward sustainable agriculture via pathogen-targeted control and crop growth promotion
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DOI：10.1186/s12951-026-04880-7.png)
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Abstract
En 中文
Fungal contamination causes substantial global food loss and waste. Among these, tomato gray mold caused by Botrytis cinerea is particularly severe, leading to a global reduction in tomato yield of 10–50%. Meanwhile, the overuse of conventional chemical fungicides has triggered an unprecedented crisis of resistance and ecological risks, seriously threatening food safety and sustainable agricultural development. To address this issue, this study constructed a triple-responsive smart controlled-release system (Pyzs@NM88B-CMC@PQ). This system efficiently loads pyrazine volatile organic compounds (VOCs) (with a loading efficiency of 21.91%) through the nanoconfinement effect of metal–organic frameworks (MOFs), and employs nano-interface engineering to construct a carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) and quaternized pectin conjugate (PQ) hybrid hydrogel coating. This enables specific recognition of key biological signals during B. cinerea infection, thereby triggering cascade dissociation of the carrier and achieving spatiotemporally precise burst release of VOCs. Performance studies demonstrated that this system integrates targeted release properties in response to pH, cellulase, and pectinase. In the biocontrol of tomato gray mold, the EC50 values for mycelial growth inhibition and spore germination inhibition in vitro were 38.15 mg/L and 8.70 mg/L, respectively; the in vivo protective and therapeutic efficacies reached 97.38% and 94.73%, respectively. In postharvest preservation of cherry tomatoes, it extended the shelf life by 6 days and significantly maintained fruit nutritional composition and sensory quality. The system also exhibited excellent environmental tolerance, with rainfastness enhanced by 7.06-fold and UV-shielding capacity increased by 5.09-fold, along with superior storage stability and broad-spectrum loading capacity. Ecotoxicological analysis showed that this system did not produce obvious toxic effects on soil invertebrates, mammalian cell lines, or the soil microbial ecosystem. Whole-lifecycle biosafety evaluation further confirmed that the system is not only non-toxic to crops but also exhibits growth-promoting potential at certain concentrations. By integrating microenvironment-programmed release, nano-interface adhesion, and multi-mechanism synergistic antifungal activity, this study provides a novel approach for developing next-generation intelligent and green agricultural inputs, holding significant application prospects in reducing pesticide residues, mitigating postharvest losses, and ensuring food security.
Keywords:
Stimuli-responsive
Volatile organic compounds
Metal-organic frameworks
Antifungal
Sustainable agriculture
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