Synergistically engineered starch-based composite films: Multifunctional platforms integrating quaternary ammonium chitosan and anthocyanins for intelligent food monitoring and sustainable packaging.

This study introduces a starch-based composite film integrated with quaternary ammonium chitosan (QCS) and Lycium ruthenicum anthocyanins (LRA) via a facile casting method, designed for intelligent food packaging. The influences of varying concentrations of QCS and/or LRA on water sensitivity, mechanical attributes, UV transmittance, antioxidant capacity, antibacterial performance, and pH-responsive characteristics were meticulously examined. The optimized film demonstrated a tensile strength of ∼0.68 MPa, a contact angle of ∼123.69°, and ABTS radical scavenging efficiency exceeding 80 %. The film exhibited pH-responsive color changes from pink to green across a pH range of 2-12, alongside excellent UV-blocking and antibacterial properties. Shrimp preservation experiments revealed a 16-h shelf-life extension, coupled with real-time freshness monitoring. These findings put forward an exceedingly promising approach to the promotion of starch-based films boasting diverse functionalities in the realm of intelligent food packaging, signifying a stride in this domain.