Effect of cold plasma technique on the quality of stored fruits - A case study on apples¹

Efeito da técnica de plasma frio na qualidade de frutas armazenadas - Estudo de caso em maçãs

HIGHLIGHTS:

Cold plasma treatment at high pressure and short immersion time gave the highest quality to apple slices.

The moisture content of apple slices increased when treated with filtered water at a longer immersion time.

Apple slices maintained color quality when treated with cold plasma during storage.

ABSTRACT

The consumption of fresh fruits has increased nowadays due to the lifestyle of the consumers. Maintaining the quality and nutritional value of cut fruits during storage is difficult compared to whole fruits. Deterioration of internal and external quality usually occurs in freshly harvested fruits. It is necessary to use different techniques to maintain the quality and increase the shelf life of the freshly cut product. This research studied the effect of treating apple slices with cold plasma once and with filtered water again on quality characteristics (hardness, moisture content, sugar content, carbohydrate content, and color) after being stored for five days. The best treatment was determined using two different pressures of the plasma jet (1 and 5 atm) and two different immersion times (3 and 6 minutes). It was verified the superiority of cold plasma treatment at 5 atm and 3 minutes immersion time in all studied traits, while treatment with filtered water and 6 minutes immersion time was superior concerning the moisture content of apple slices. There is an inverse relationship between L* and a direct relationship between the a* and b* values with the storage time. Therefore, the use of cold plasma treatment is promising in storing cut fruits, extending their shelf life, and improving their quality and safety, which provides fresh fruits.

Key words:
apple slices; filtered water; hardness; immersion time; plasma jet