Cold plasma treatment to improve germination and enhance the bioactive phytochemical content of germinated brown rice

An innovative approach for iron fortification of rice using cold plasma

In the present study, an innovative cold plasma treatment was used as a tool to fortify the white rice. The amounts of ferrous sulphate and ascorbic acid were optimized for improving the bioavailability of iron. White rice samples were treated with plasma at a constant voltage of 20 kV for varying time (10 min and 15 min). The exposure time of plasma was selected based on the surface characteristics, hydrophilicity and thermal properties. Significant improvement was observed in the characteristics of hydrophilicity, surface energy, cooking time and hardness of plasma-treated rice. Plasma treated rice was fortified with the optimum concentrations of iron and ascorbic acid solution. Optimum concentrations of iron and ascorbic acid per 100 g of rice (862.93 mg and 1398.27 mg) were found by conducting experiments using Central Composite Design of Response Surface Methodology. Further, rice was blended with untreated rice in the ratio of 1:100 and 1:200 and was packed in LDPE and PP pouches and was stored at ambient temperature for further storage analysis. The in vitro bioavailability of iron was significantly higher in the plasma-treated fortified rice at both 1.35 and 7.5 pH than in the control sample, and plasma treatment significantly reduced the rate of oxidation of iron during storage.

Influence of Plasma Treatment on the Polyphenols of Food Products—A Review

The consumption of bioactive compounds, especially phenolic compounds, has been associated with health benefits such as improving the health status and reducing the risk of developing certain diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular diseases, and neurodegenerative disorders. However, the preservation of natural bioactive compounds in food products is a major challenge for the food industry. Due to the major impact of conventional thermal processing, nonthermal technologies such as cold plasma have been proposed as one of the most promising solutions for the food industry. This review will cover the current knowledge about the effects of cold plasma in polyphenols found in food products. The increasing number of studies in the last years supports the continuous search for specific treatment conditions for each type of food and the central role of plasma treatments as a food-processing technology.