A Biodegradable Antimicrobial PCL Cling Film Preparation and Strawberry Preservation Application

This study explores the encapsulation of essential oils from Syzygium aromaticum (Clove) and Tsaoko fructus (Caoguo) in Mg‐MCM‐41, a mesoporous nanosilica material, and their incorporation into polycaprolactone (PCL) films at mass percentages of 0%, 5%, 10%, and 15%. The resultant films were comprehensively characterized for their physical properties, including water vapor transmission rate, freshness preservation efficacy, and mechanical, thermal, antioxidant, and antibacterial attributes. The incorporation of essential oils and Mg‐MCM‐41 not only endowed the films with antioxidant and antifungal properties but also significantly enhanced their tensile strength. Notably, the tensile strength (TS) of the PCM15 film, containing 15% additive, achieved a value of 10.21 MPa, which is a remarkable 97% increase compared to the neat PCL film. The films also exhibited strong antioxidant activity, with DPPH free radical scavenging ability reaching 80.96% and ABTS scavenging rate at 85.93%. Furthermore, the average inhibition rate against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli reached 85.22%. The films' effectiveness in preserving the freshness of raw strawberries was assessed through physicochemical indices during storage, with the PCM10 and PCM15 films exhibiting the most pronounced preservation effects, extending the shelf‐life to the 7th day at 25°C without the onset of mold.