Effects of Nonthermal Plasma Technology on Functional Food Components

Abstract

Understanding the impact of nonthermal plasma (NTP) technology on key nutritional and functional food components is of paramount importance for the successful adoption of the technology by industry. NTP technology (NTPT) has demonstrated marked antimicrobial efficacies with good retention of important physical, chemical, sensory, and nutritional parameters for an array of food products. This paper presents the influence of NTPT on selected functional food components with a focus on low-molecular-weight bioactive compounds and vitamins. We discuss the mechanisms of bioactive compound alteration by plasma-reactive species and classify their influence on vitamins and their antioxidant capacities. The impact of NTP on specific bioactive compounds depends both on plasma properties and the food matrix. Induced changes are mainly associated with oxidative degradation and cleavage of double bonds in organic compounds. The effects reported to date are mainly time-dependent increases in the concentrations of polyphenols, vitamin C, or increases in antioxidant activity. Also, improvement in the extraction efficiency of polyphenols is observed. The review highlights future research needs regarding the complex mechanisms of interaction with plasma species. NTP is a novel technology that can both negatively and positively affect the functional components in food.

Improvement of the Antioxidant Activity, Water Solubility, and Dispersion Stability of Prickly Pear Cactus Fruit Extracts Using Argon Cold Plasma Treatment

“…For example, the phenolic and flavonoid contents of blueberries and pomegranate juice (Garofulić et al., ; Kovačević et al., ) have been accounted for by depolymerization processes. Moreover, CP disruption of the cell membrane via etching by CP‐reactive species leads to the release of intracellular substances into the extracellular environment, which could, in turn, increase the antioxidant activity by enhancing the extraction of polyphenols (Muhammad et al., ). It has been confirmed that plasma‐reactive oxygen species, such as Ar + and OH • , lead to etching of the upper epidermis of lettuce, which stimulates the release of flavonoids from the central vacuoles of the guard cells (Muhammad et al., ).…”

“…Moreover, CP disruption of the cell membrane via etching by CP‐reactive species leads to the release of intracellular substances into the extracellular environment, which could, in turn, increase the antioxidant activity by enhancing the extraction of polyphenols (Muhammad et al., ). It has been confirmed that plasma‐reactive oxygen species, such as Ar + and OH • , lead to etching of the upper epidermis of lettuce, which stimulates the release of flavonoids from the central vacuoles of the guard cells (Muhammad et al., ). An increase in the antioxidant activity could also be attributed to the incorporation of CP hydroxyl groups into the phenolic compounds (Pankaj, Wan, Colonna, & Keener, ).…”

“…(), the interactions of CP‐reactive species with components from various food matrices are complex, and so unraveling the mechanisms involved in the interactions between bioactive compounds and CP‐reactive species is challenging, given the highly dynamic nature of the species. Reportedly, the kind and amount of species generated in CP are highly dependent on various parameters, including the plasma source, input power, plasma‐forming gas, treatment time, and reactor geometry (Gavahian et al., ; Muhammad et al., ; Niemira, ). In turn, depending on the kind and amount of the reactive species present, chemical interactions between these species and the bioactive compounds can either increase or decrease the antioxidant activity.…”

“…Cold plasma treatment (CPT), a nonthermal food treatment method that does not impart a significant deterioration in the food quality (Muhammad et al., ), is based on the use of ultraviolet (UV) light and reactive species such as photons, electrons, ions, free radicals, and excited or nonexcited molecules present in plasma (Riccardi et al., ; Tappi et al., ). However, the interaction of cold plasma (CP)‐reactive species with food materials is rather complex to understand due to the multicomponent nature of food (Muhammad et al., ). For example, Garofulić et al.…”

Prospective Applications of Cold Plasma for Processing Poultry Products: Benefits, Effects on Quality Attributes, and Limitations

“…Besides, the potential negative effects of plasma treatment on the quality attributes should be considered (Muhammad et al., ). While the unpleasant physical changes may only affect the consumer acceptability and result in the economic loss, the chemical changes, such as lipid oxidation, may lead to both economic loss and production of health‐concerned products (Gavahian, Chu, Mousavi Khaneghah, et al., ).…”