Sunflower seed protein is a protein rich in amino acids, but its structure is more difficult to be applied due to its poor functional properties. The purpose of this study is to investigate the ...effect of cold plasma treatment on the structural and functional properties of sunflower seed protein. The results showed that the energetic particles and active substances generated by cold plasma treatment could improve the spatial structure of the protein by bombardment/etching and oxidation, respectively, which led to the change of its secondary structure: α-helices and random coil were transformed to β-sheet and β-turns, and the tertiary structure: the fluorescence intensity was increased, the roughness was decreased, which finally led to the increase of the zeta-potential, the solubility increased to 7.341, and the emulsion increased to 7.341, which led to the increase of the solubility and the fluorescence intensity. to 7.341, and the emulsion activity index and emulsion stability index increased from 1.842 m2/g, 107.5 min to 3.3887 m2/g, 171.4 min. These changes were attributed to the fact that the cold plasma treatment altered the structure of sunflower proteins from tightly hydrophobic to loosely hydrophilic, with the exposure of the internal hydrophobic groups and the protein aggregation from large to small. This provides a theoretical basis for its application in food.
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•Cold plasma treatment is a new modification method.•The mechanism of modification of sunflower seed protein by cold plasma was discussed.•The solubility of sunflower seed protein increased from 2.65 to 7.341.
Supported metal catalysts are of great importance in energy and environmental applications. Atmospheric‐pressure (AP) cold plasma, generally generated by dielectric barrier discharge and cold plasma ...jet, has been proved to be a fast, facile, and energy efficient method for fabricating supported metal catalysts. In this review, the recent progress, challenges, and perspectives of AP cold plasma for synthesizing supported metal catalysts are discussed. Focus is placed on recent work demonstrating the discharge types of AP cold plasma, and the characteristics of the synthesized supported metal catalysts. The reduction mechanism of AP cold plasma is also discussed in light of several possible mechanisms that have been proposed in previous work.
Atmospheric‐pressure (AP) cold plasma technique for synthesizing supported metal catalysts has been reviewed. The discharge types of AP cold plasma, and the characteristics of the synthesized supported metal catalysts have been summarized and discussed. The reduction mechanism has also been discussed, and the challenges and perspectives are proposed.
The effectiveness of atmospheric air dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) cold plasma was compared with existing decontamination methods for improving the quality and shelf life of apples. The samples ...were stored in two different storage conditions (ambient, 27 ± 3 °C; and cold, 10 ± 1 °C) to check the effect of storage temperature on their shelf life. The microbial load on the apples was reduced after all the treatments, and samples stored at 10 ℃ showed a higher reduction in microbial load with increased shelf life. The polyphenol oxidase (PPO) and phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) enzyme activities showed a significant reduction after cold plasma treatment; however, peroxidase (POD) activity showed a lower reduction than PPO and PAL enzymes. Color changes evaluated using L*, a*, and b* values showed higher retention for the red color in the treated samples compared to control samples, and the firmness of all treated samples was maintained throughout the storage period. The total phenolic content (TPC) increased after cold plasma treatment and carotenoid content was retained in the treated samples. In addition, the present study demonstrated that the novel cold plasma decontamination method was more effective in reducing the pesticides (Malathion, Fenthion, and Chlorpyrifos) from the apple surfaces than the conventional methods. Cold plasma can be a better alternative for decontaminating apples; however, other hurdles may be required to increase their shelf life further.
•Cold plasma treatment improved quality parameters of apples during storage.•Cold plasma treatment effectively reduced microbial count and enzyme activity.•Cold plasma treatment improved colour and enhanced total phenolic content.•Shelf life of apples (13 days in ambient) increased to 41 days in cold conditions after cold plasma treatment.•Cold plasma treatment was efficient in removing organophosphate pesticide residues.
To effectively enhance the adsorption performance of gaseous formaldehyde (HCHO) by bamboo-based carbon microfibers (BCMFs), the active oxygen (O) and nitrogen (N)-containing functional groups were ...rapidly introduced by cold plasma. The effects of plasma time, plasma atmospheres including oxygen (O2), nitrogen (N2), air, and argon (Ar) as well as ambient temperature, flow rate, and initial concentration of gaseous HCHO on the adsorption performance of BCMFs were comprehensively investigated. The typical kinetic, isothermal, and thermodynamic models were also evaluated. The O2-plasma activated BCMFs showed the most serious etching effects among four atmospheres. The adsorption capacities were ranked as BCMF-800-N-10 (203.87 mg g−1) > BCMF-800-Ar-10 (166.26 mg g−1) > BCMF-800-Air-10 (151.28 mg g−1) > BCMF-800-O-10 (144.21 mg g−1), which were 112.99%, 73.69%, 58.04%, and 50.66% higher than the control, respectively. The O–CO and pyrrolic N groups were more easily formed onto BCMF-800-N-10. The Langmuir and the Freundlich models displayed the excellent fitting properties. The optimal kinetic model tended to transfer to the pseudo-second-order from the pseudo-first-order after cold plasma modification. The BCMFs activated by plasma showed a synergistic single/multi-layer adsorption mechanism with a complex physicochemical adsorption. The HCHO adsorption performance was positively correlated with its concentrations but negatively correlated with environmental temperature.
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•HCHO gas was efficiently adsorbed by BCMFs with various chemical groups.•N2-plasma activated BCMFs for HCHO adsorption was optimum among four atmospheres.•HCHO adsorption capacity of BCMF-800-N-10 was 112.99% higher than control.•Plasma activated BCMFs showed a synergistic single/multi-layer adsorption mechanism.
Urbanization has instigated a high demand for nutritious, high-quality products that meet rigorous safety standards and have an extended shelf life. This increasing demand has stirred research on the ...development of innovative food preservation techniques that can effectively replace rigorous thermal treatments such as sterilization and pasteurization. In response to this challenge, non-thermal techniques such as cold plasma and pulsed light are gaining attention as promising solutions to enhance the shelf-life of processed foods. In this article, we reviewed studies focusing on the germicidal efficacy of cold plasma and its effect on the nutritional and organoleptic characteristics of food products. This review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the mechanism and diverse applications of the cold plasma technique within the food processing sector. It has been observed that cold plasma offers multifaceted applications in food packaging, elimination of pesticides and food allergens, enhancement of antimicrobial activity, surface decontamination, and equipment disinfection. Cold plasma can be effectively used individually or as a hurdle to improve the efficiency of any preservation technique. It can be concluded that cold plasma has the potential to reshape and revolutionize food preservation practices.
We derive stringent constraints on the persistent source associated with FRB 121102: size , age year, energy erg, characteristic electron energy the radiating plasma is confined by a cold plasma of ...mass these properties are inconsistent with typical "magnetar wind nebulae" model predictions. The fact that suggests that the hot plasma was created by the ejection of a mildly relativistic, shell, which propagated into an extended ambient medium or collided with a pre-ejected shell. Independent of the persistent source model, we suggest a physical mechanism for the generation of fast radio bursts (FRBs): the ejection from an underlying compact object, cm, of highly relativistic shells with energy erg and Lorentz factor , into a surrounding e − p plasma with density (consistent with that inferred for the persistent source). For Es similar to observed FRB energies, plasma conditions appropriate for strong synchrotron maser emission at are formed. A significant fraction of the deposited energy is converted to an FRB with duration , accompanied by ∼10 MeV gamma-rays carrying less energy than the FRB. The inferred energy and mass associated with the source suggest some type of a "weak stellar explosion," where a neutron star is formed with relatively low mass and energy ejection. However, the current upper limit on R does not allow one to rule out , or the ejection of a larger mass well before the ejection of the confining shell.
•Role of thymoquinone treated with cold plasma (TQcp) on the rat wound model.•TQcp significantly reduced the skin content of tumor necrosis factor- α.•TQcp could up-regulate the skin levels of ...transforming growth factor-beta.•TQcp significantly enhanced the skin content of interleukin-10, alpha smooth muscle actin and vascular endothelial growth factor.•TQcp could improve the histopathological and ultra-structural picture of the skin.•TQcp revealed a significant potential for wound healing.
Wound healing is a series of coordinated events that involve tissue repair and regeneration. Cold atmospheric plasma approach sheds the light on the mechanism that initiates the inflammatory responses throughout the healing cascade. The present study was planned to assess the effect of thymoquinone treated with cold plasma (TQcp) on the rat wound model compared to thymoquinone (TQ). To assess the wound healing potential of TQcp, a full-thickness wound model was used. The induced wound was smeared, starting just after excision, twice daily with TQcp and TQ for 7 days. Our findings revealed that TQcp improved the skin healing potential by augmenting the skin regeneration indices as evidenced by enhancing the new production of hyaluronic acid and collagen type I. TQcp significantly reduced the skin content of tumor necrosis factor- α and inhibited the hypertrophic scarring by up-regulating the skin content of transforming growth factor-beta. Furthermore, TQcp enhanced the levels of interleukin-10, alpha smooth muscle actin and vascular endothelial growth factor, demonstrating a great potential for wound healing that also reflected in the histopathological and ultra-structural picture of the skin. Finally, our results demonstrated that TQcp revealed a significant potential for wound healing than TQ alone.
The utilization of cold plasma (CP) treatment to promote covalent conjugation of ovalbumin (OVA) and gallic acid (GA), as well as its functionality, were investigated. Results demonstrated that CP ...significantly enhanced the covalent grafting of OVA and GA. The maximum conjugation of GA, 24.33 ± 2.24 mg/g, was achieved following 45 s of CP treatment. Covalent conjugation between GA and OVA were confirmed through analyses of total sulfhydryl (-SH) group, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). Unfolding of the OVA molecule occurred upon conjugation with GA, as evidenced by multiple spectroscopy analyses. Additionally, conjugation with GA resulted in significant improvements in the antioxidant activity and emulsifying properties of OVA. This study demonstrated that CP is a robust and sustainable technique for promoting the covalent conjugate of polyphenols and proteins, offering a novel approach to enhance the functional properties of proteins.
•Covalent OVA-GA conjugates were formed after 45 s of CP treatment.•High efficiency of grafting of GA onto OVA (24.33 ± 2.24 mg/g) was achieved.•Monomer, dimer, and polymer forms of OVA-GA conjugates were obtained.•Four to five-fold increase in antioxidant activity was obtained after GA grafting.
Various contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) including pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) have been known to threaten the aquatic ecosystem and human health even at low levels in ...surface water. Among them, the wide variety use of parabens as preservatives may pose potential threat to human because parabens may present estrogenic activity. Various advanced oxidation processes have been attempted to reduce parabens, but challenges using cold plasma (CP) are very rare. CP is worth paying attention to in reducing parabens because it has the advantage of generating radical ions, including reactive oxygen/nitrogen species and various ions. Accordingly, this study demonstrates how CP can be utilized and how CP competes with other advanced oxidation processes in energy requirements. Quantified ethyl-, propyl-, and butyl-paraben indicate that CP can effectively degrade them up to 99.1% within 3 h. Regression reveals that the kinetic coefficients of degradation can be increased to as high as 0.0328 min−1, comparable to other advanced oxidation processes. Many by-products generated from the oxidation of parabens provide evidence of the potential degradation pathway through CP treatment. In addition, we found that the electrical energy consumption per order of CP (39–95 kWh/m3/order) is superior to other advanced oxidation processes (69∼31,716 kWh/m3/order). Overall, these results suggest that CP may be a viable option to prevent adverse health-related consequences associated with parabens in receiving water.
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•The energy-efficient cold plasma processes were applied for paraben degradation.•Cold plasma's efficacy in degrading was demonstrated up to 99.1% of parabens in water.•The cold plasma demonstrates superior efficiency and reliability in removing EP, PP, and BP.•It also achieved high PB removal with lower energy consumption.
The effect of plasma functionalized water (PW) pretreatment and influencing factors including treatment time and voltage were investigated on the drying kinetics, nutrition and sensory properties of ...tomato slices during infrared-accelerated pulsed vacuum drying (IR-PVD). Results revealed that PW pretreatment caused disruptions in tomato cellular structure that were greater with increasing treatment time and voltage, due to strong acidification and etching from reactive species in PW. These disruptions accelerated the removal of moisture during IR-PVD to shorten drying time by 25%, and improve visual appearance, rehydration, porosity, phenols and flavonoids, soluble solids, lycopene, ascorbic acid, but reduced chewiness, gumminess and hardness properties. Overall, the findings revealed the propitious potentials of PW and indicated the significant effects of PW influencing factors for accelerating drying characteristics and increasing the functional and nutrition properties of tomato slices during IR-PVD, providing a theoretical basis for developing novel energy-saving drying approaches.
•Plasma water provides a viable alternative for pretreating tomato slices prior to IR-PVD.•Increasing treatment time and voltage led to increased porosity in the microstructure.•Plasma water accelerated moisture transfer and shortened drying time.•Highest vitamin C retention achieved at the peak of treatment time and voltage.•Future studies should emphasis on optimization for large-scale applications.
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