Antifungal, antioxidant activity, and preservation effect of caffeic acid quaternary ammonium salt-modified chitosan

Key Points

• The antifungal and antioxidant properties are significantly enhanced by modifying chitosan with caffeic acid quaternary ammonium salt.
• In vitro tests show up to a 70% reduction in fungal growth at specific concentrations of the modified chitosan.
• Analysis focused on various concentrations of caffeic acid quaternary ammonium salt-modified chitosan.
• These findings suggest potential applications in food preservation and packaging; further studies on real-world usage are required.