Comparison of the Effect of Plasma-Activated Water and Artificially Prepared Plasma-Activated Water on Wheat Grain Properties

Cold plasma: A success road to mycotoxins mitigation and food value edition

Mycotoxins are common in many agricultural products and may harm both animals and humans. Dietary mycotoxins are reduced via physical, chemical, and thermal decontamination methods. Chemical residues are left behind after physical and chemical treatments that decrease food quality. Since mycotoxins are heat-resistant, heat treatments do not completely eradicate them. Cold plasma therapy increases food safety and shelf life. Cold plasma-generated chemical species may kill bacteria quickly at room temperature while leaving no chemical residues. This research explains how cold plasma combats mold and mycotoxins to guarantee food safety and quality. Fungal cells are damaged and killed by cold plasma species. Mycotoxins are also chemically broken down by the species, making the breakdown products safer. According to a preliminary cold plasma study, plasma may enhance food shelf life and quality. The antifungal and antimycotoxin properties of cold plasma benefit fresh produce, agricultural commodities, nuts, peppers, herbs, dried meat, and fish.

Genetic and Environmental Factors Affecting Seed Germination

Plants have evolved various strategies allowing them to be successful in heterogeneous habitats, including the number and size of the seeds they produce, mechanisms for their dispersal, seed dormancy, seed vigor, seed germination, etc [...].

Advancements in Plasma Agriculture: A Review of Recent Studies

This review is devoted to a topic of high interest in recent times-the use of plasma technologies in agriculture. The increased attention to these studies is primarily due to the demand for the intensification of food production and, at the same time, the request to reduce the use of pesticides. We analyzed publications, focusing on research conducted in the last 3 years, to identify the main achievements of plasma agrotechnologies and key obstacles to their widespread implementation in practice. We considered the main types of plasma sources used in this area, their advantages and limitations, which determine the areas of application. We also considered the use of plasma-activated liquids and the efficiency of their production by various types of plasma sources.

Effects of High Voltage Electrical Discharge (HVED) on Endogenous Hormone and Polyphenol Profile in Wheat

High voltage electrical discharge (HVED) is an eco-friendly low-cost method based on the creation of plasma-activated water (PAW) through the release of electrical discharge in water which results in the formation of reactive particles. Recent studies have reported that such novel plasma technologies promote germination and growth but their hormonal and metabolic background is still not known. In the present work, the HVED-induced hormonal and metabolic changes were studied during the germination of wheat seedlings. Hormonal changes including abscisic acid (ABA), gibberellic acids (GAs), indol acetic acid (IAA) and jasmonic acid (JA) and the polyphenol responses were detected in the early (2nd day) and late (5th day) germination phases of wheat as well as their redistribution in shoot and root. HVED treatment significantly stimulated germination and growth both in the shoot and root. The root early response to HVED involved the upregulation of ABA and increased phaseic and ferulic acid content, while the active form of gibberellic acid (GA1) was downregulated. In the later phase (5th day of germination), HVED had a stimulatory effect on the production of benzoic and salicylic acid. The shoot showed a different response: HVED induced the synthesis of JA_Le_Ile, an active form of JA, and provoked the biosynthesis of cinnamic, p-coumaric and caffeic acid in both phases of germination. Surprisingly, in 2-day-old shoots, HVED decreased the GA20 levels, being intermediate in the synthesis of bioactive gibberellins. These HVED-provoked metabolic changes indicated a stress-related response that could contribute to germination in wheat.

Effect of Plasma-Activated Water Bubbles on Fusarium graminearum, Deoxynivalenol, and Germination of Naturally Infected Barley during Steeping

Contamination of barley by deoxynivalenol (DON), a mycotoxin produced by Fusarium graminearum, causes considerable financial loss to the grain and malting industries. In this study, two atmospheric cold plasma (ACP) reactors were used to produce plasma-activated water (PAW) bubbles. The potential of PAW bubbles for the steeping of naturally infected barley (NIB) during the malting process was investigated. The PAW bubbles produced by treating water for 30 min using a bubble spark discharge (BSD) at low temperature resulted in the greatest concentration of oxygen-nitrogen reactive species (RONS). This treatment resulted in 57.3% DON degradation compared with 36.9% in the control sample; however, the same treatment reduced germination significantly (p < 0.05). Direct BSD ACP treatment for 20 min at low temperature and indirect treatment for 30 min increased the percentage of germinated rootlets of the seedlings compared with the control. Considering both the DON reduction and germination improvement of barley seeds, continuous jet ACP treatment for 30 min performed better than the other treatments used in this study. At higher temperature of PAW bubbles, the concentration of RONS was significantly (p < 0.05) reduced. Based on quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) analysis and fungal culture tests, the PAW bubble treatment did not significantly reduce infection of NIB. Nonetheless, this study provides useful information for the malting industry for PAW treatment optimization and its use in barley steeping for DON reduction and germination improvement.