Exploring Multifaceted Changes in Physicochemical and Nutritional Attributes of Chicken Breast Powder under Cold Plasma Treatment

Abstract

In the present investigation, the impact of nonthermal, cold plasma treatment on the physicochemical, nutritional, functional, thermal, and amino acid composition of chicken breast powder (CB P ) was analyzed. CB P samples underwent treatment with plasma generated by a dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma source at 9 kV for 5, 10, and 15 min. The protein content of CB P increased with prolonged treatment durations. Additionally, both tap and bulk density exhibited a declining trend, while flow characteristics, including Carr's index and Hausner ratio, approached standard reference values. These findings suggest that the flowability may be marginally enhanced with longer cold plasma treatment times. Color analysis showed an elevation in total color difference (TCD) from CP-5 (0.71) to CP-15 (1.49), followed by a reduction in white index (WI) and an increase in chroma (C) and yellow index (YI). The results of differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) indicated that the thermostability of treated CBP is likely influenced by variations in the protein structure and conformation. The micrographs and diffractograms displayed microstructural changes in the protein and crystallinity of CBP, respectively. The amount of essential amino acids, including histidine, threonine, valine, phenylalanine, leucine, isoleucine, and lysine, decreased with an increased treatment time. Overall, cold plasma treatment improved the physicochemical, nutritional, functional, and thermal properties of CBP, rendering it suitable for the preparation of various food products, such as bread, biscuits, cookies, soup mixes, etc., with enhanced quality characteristics.