A triple-responsive smart controlled-release system for antifungal volatiles: toward sustainable agriculture via pathogen-targeted control and crop growth promotion
5 affiliations
- 1School of Food Science and Technology, International Joint Laboratory on Food Safety, Synergetic Innovation Center of Food Safety and Quality Control, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122 Jiangsu P.R. China
- 2Key Laboratory of Screening, Prevention, and Control of Food Safety Risks, State Administration for Market Regulation, Wuxi, 214122 Jiangsu P.R. China
- 3Institute of Future Food Technology, JITRI, Yixing, 214200 P.R. China
- 4Department of Environmental Health Science, College of Public Health, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602 USA
- 5Instrumental Analysis and Laboratory Animal Center, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122 P.R. China
Abstract
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.
Graphical abstract:
Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at https://doi.org/10.1186/s12951-026-04880-7.
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BibTeX
@article{liang2026tripleresponsive,
title = {{A triple-responsive smart controlled-release system for antifungal volatiles: toward sustainable agriculture via pathogen-targeted control and crop growth promotion}},
author = {Shuo Liang and Lina Sheng and Heyang Huang and Jia-Sheng Wang and Jiadi Sun and Yongli Ye and Jian Ji and Song Gao and Yinzhi Zhang and Xiulan Sun},
journal = {Journal of Nanobiotechnology},
year = {2026},
month = aug,
doi = {10.1186/s12951-026-04880-7},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1186/s12951-026-04880-7},
note = {CC BY-NC-ND 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - A triple-responsive smart controlled-release system for antifungal volatiles: toward sustainable agriculture via pathogen-targeted control and crop growth promotion
AU - Shuo Liang
AU - Lina Sheng
AU - Heyang Huang
AU - Jia-Sheng Wang
AU - Jiadi Sun
AU - Yongli Ye
AU - Jian Ji
AU - Song Gao
AU - Yinzhi Zhang
AU - Xiulan Sun
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/08/10
JO - Journal of Nanobiotechnology
DO - 10.1186/s12951-026-04880-7
UR - https://doi.org/10.1186/s12951-026-04880-7
AB - 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. Graphical abstract: Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at https://doi.org/10.1186/s12951-026-04880-7.
SN - 1477-3155
ER -