Physicochemical Properties of Plasma-Activated Water and Its Control Effects on the Quality of Strawberries
Year: 2023
Type: article
Abstract: In this study, the effects of plasma-activated water (PAW), generated by dielectric barrier discharge cold plasma at the gas–liquid interface, on the quality of fresh strawberries during storage were investigated. The results showed that, with the prolongation of plasma treatment time, the pH of PAW declined dramatically and the electrical conductivity increased significantly. The active components, including NO2−, NO3−, H2O2, and O2−, accumulated gradually in PAW, whereas the concentration of O2− decreased gradually with the treatment time after 2 min. No significant changes were found in pH, firmness, color, total soluble solids, malondialdehyde, vitamin C, or antioxidant activity in the PAW-treated strawberries (p > 0.05). Furthermore, the PAW treatment delayed the quality deterioration of strawberries and extended their shelf life. Principal component analysis and hierarchical cluster analysis showed that the PAW 2 treatment group demonstrated the best prolonged freshness effect, with the highest firmness, total soluble solids, vitamin C, and DPPH radical scavenging activity, and the lowest malondialdehyde and ∆E* values, after 4 days of storage. It was concluded that PAW showed great potential for maintaining the quality of fresh fruits and extending their shelf life.
Source: Molecules
Authors: Xiao Yang, Can Zhang, Qunfang Li, Jun-Hu Cheng
Institutions: South China University of Technology, Shangqiu Polytechnic
Language: English
Subfield: Plant Science
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $2,558
OpenAlex ID: W4327618040