Preservation effect of plasma-activated water (PAW) treatment on fresh walnut kernels

Fresh walnuts exhibit unique flavor and multiple biological activities, but they are highly perishable due to the lack of practical and cost-effective postharvest preservation technique. In this paper, the quality of fresh walnut kernels treated with deionized water, water containing ClO₂, and plasma-activated water (PAW) for 15 min were monitored during 4 °C storage. Results showed that 100-s PAW treatment reduced the total viable count by 1.15 log CFU/g immediately after treatment. The bactericidal and bacteriostatic effects of PAW was superior to 4 mg/L ClO₂. PAW-treated samples retained their flavor during 12d storage at 4 °C, while other samples generated odor at 6d. Moreover, PAW treatment could prevent nutritional loss, browning, and rancidity. The increases of peroxidase, polyphenol oxidase, and lipase activities were inhibited after PAW treatment. Hence, PAW treatment can be applied for the preservation of fresh walnut kernels due to its effect on microbial inhibition and quality maintenance.Industry relevanceNon-thermal plasma is an emerging non-thermal food processing technology due to its advantages of non-destructive, pollution-free, high efficiency and short treatment periods. In this study, plasma-activated water (PAW) was applied in the preservation of fresh walnut kernels, and inhibited flavor changes, nutritional loss, microbial growth, browning, and oxidation reaction. When approaching food preservation technologies, especially for heat-sensitive materials, PAW treatment as a novel technique appears to have far-reaching implications for increasing markets by antimicrobial properties, and avoiding the negative impacts on quality attributes.     

超声联合微酸性电解水处理对真空包装海鲈鱼冷藏期间品质变化的影响

为研究超声与微酸性电解水联合处理对真空包装海鲈鱼冷藏期间品质变化的影响,将新鲜鲈鱼片分别使用20?kHz 600?W超声(ultrasonic,US)、微酸性电解水(slightly acidic electrolytic water,SAEW)、超声联合微酸性电解水(US+SAEW)处理10?min,以无菌水浸渍处理...     

Differences of Bactericidal Efficacy on <Emphasis Type="Italic">Escherichia coli</Emphasis>, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Staphylococcus aureus</Emphasis>, and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Bacillus subtilis</Emphasis> of Slightly and Strongly Acidic Electrolyzed Water

In the present study, the disinfection efficacy of slightly acidic electrolyzed water (SAEW) and strongly acidic electrolyzed water (AEW) was tested on three bacteria, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Bacillus subtilis and the disinfection mechanism was discussed. The results showed that SAEW had a stronger antibacterial efficacy against these tested bacteria in comparison with AEW. The results also showed that both SAEW and AEW treatments could damage the cell membrane, which was demonstrated microcosmically by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), thus causing leakages of protein, DNA, RNA, and ATP, resulting in the death of microbes. Moreover, AEW treatment could not cause the degradations of DNA and RNA, and nucleic acids including DNA and RNA are not the target point of its bactericidal efficacy. However, SAEW could maybe cause the degradation of RNA, and RNA may be the target in its antibacterial activity. We suggested that the differences in antibacterial efficacy between SAEW and AEW could be explained by the different impacts on RNA of tested strains.     

微酸性电解水结合迷迭香提取物对冷藏鲈鱼片品质变化的影响

为研究微酸性电解水结合迷迭香提取物(rosemary extract,RE)处理对鲈鱼片冷藏期间品质变化影响.将新鲜鲈鱼片随机分为4组,分别使用微酸性电解水(slightly acidic electrolyzed water,SAEW)[pH=6.35±0.04,氧化还原电位=(861.60±12.35)mV,有效氯...     

In vitro inactivation of Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Salmonella spp. using slightly acidic electrolyzed water

In the current study, the effectiveness of slightly acidic electrolyzed water (SAEW) on an in vitro inactivation of Escherichia coli (E. coli), Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and Salmonella spp. was evaluated and compared with other sanitizers. SAEW (pH 5.6, 23 mg/l available chlorine concentration; ACC; and 940 mV oxidation reduction potential; ORP) was generated by electrolysis of dilute solution of HCl (2%) in a chamber of a non-membrane electrolytic cell. One milliliter of bacteria suspension (ca. 10–11 log₁₀CFU/ml) was mixed with 9 ml of SAEW, strong acidic electrolyzed water (StAEW; ca. 50 mg/l ACC), sodium hypochlorite solution (NaOCl; ca.120 mg/l ACC) and distilled water (DW) as control and treated for 60 s. SAEW effectively reduced the population of E. coli, S. aureus and Salmonella spp. by 5.1, 4.8, and 5.2 log₁₀CFU/ml. Although, ACC of SAEW was more than 5 times lower than that of NaOCl solution, they showed no significant bactericidal difference (p > 0.05). However, the bactericidal effect of StAEW was significantly higher (p < 0.05) than SAEW and NaOCl solution in all cases. When tested with each individual test solution, E. coli, S. aureus and Salmonella spp. reductions were not significantly different (p > 0.05). These findings indicate that SAEW with low available chlorine concentration can equally inactivate E. coli, S. aureus and Salmonella spp. as NaOCl solution and therefore SAEW shows a high potential of application in agriculture and food industry as an environmentally friendly disinfection agent.     

等离子体活化水在食品工业中应用研究进展

等离子体活化水(Plasma-activated water,PAW)具有活性组分含量高、低pH和氧化还原电位较高等特点,具有杀菌、抗生物被膜、促进种子萌发和幼苗生长等功能。作为一种新型的环境友好型非热加工技术,PAW在食品工业中的潜在应用前景受到广泛关注。本文综述了PAW在食品杀菌保鲜、肉制品护色、细菌生物被膜控制等领域中的应用研究,为PAW技术在食品工业中的广泛应用提供参考。     

Plasma-activated water for disinfection and quality retention of sea bream fillets: Kinetic evaluation and process optimization

The efficacy of plasma-activated water (PAW) in the decontamination of sea bream fillets at various processing conditions including fish/immersion agent ratio (1/1–1/5) and immersion times (0–20 min), was evaluated. Deionized water (as control samples) and artificially produced water (artificial) with equal reactive species (H₂O₂, NO₂⁻, and NO₃⁻) concentrations to PAW were also used as immersion agents for comparison purposes. All the fillets were assessed in terms of their microbiological (total aerobic bacteria – TAB, yeasts/molds, hydrogen sulfide (H₂S)-producing microorganisms, lactic acid bacteria – LAB, Pseudomonas spp., Brochotrix thermosphacta, and Enterobacteriaceae) and physicochemical (color, texture, lipid oxidation) characteristics. PAW-treated samples exhibited the highest microbial reduction; the loads of TAB, Pseudomonas spp., yeasts/molds, Enterobacteriaceae, H₂S-producing bacteria and Brochotrix thermosphacta were reduced by approximately 1.58, 2.25, 3.95, 2.14, 1.96 and 1.48 logCFU/g, respectively compared to the fish initial natural microbiota (6.81, 6.25, 3.95, 5.14, 4.96 and 4.81 logCFU/g, respectively) at the most intense process conditions (fish/immersion agent ratio of 1/5 and immersion time of 20 min) (p < 0.05). Shelf-life study of all treated fillets was conducted to validate the efficiency of PAW. During 10-d storage at 4 °C, the PAW-processed sea bream fillets had lower microbial growth rates (i.e. for TAB growth, the rate was 0.440 d⁻¹ for PAW-treated compared to 0.640 d⁻¹ for untreated fillets) and retained their color and hardness, while total volatile basic nitrogen (TVB-N) remained at low levels (14.90 mg N/100 g) compared to the untreated ones (21.84 mg N/100 g). Their shelf-life was extended by approximately 60% and 30% for PAW- and artificially processed samples, respectively, (2.8- and 1.4-day shelf-life extension compared to control samples, respectively). These aforementioned data show that PAW can be efficiently used as a disinfectant agent to control microbial degradation, while retaining the quality of fish fillets.Industrial relevanceFish fillets are perishable food products, while none of the conventional or novel processing technologies or techniques may be applied for initial microbial population decrease. Storage and transportation at refrigeration temperatures below 1 °C (within Styrofoam insulated boxes full of ice flakes) is the target of the relevant companies for extending the shelf-life as much as possible.An alternative approach for reducing the initial microbial load and the microbial growth rate of fish fillets during storage and transportation is proposed, by immersing the fillets into Plasma activated water with antimicrobial properties. The microbial load is significantly reduced, resulting in a shelf-life extension by at least 60%. This allows for more distant transportation of the fillets and for less food waste since there is more time for consumption before spoilage.     

微酸性电解水杀菌工艺优化及对云南鲜米线贮藏品质影响

为优化微酸性电解水（Slightly Acidic Electrolyzed Water,SAEW）对鲜米线杀菌工艺条件,探明其对米线储藏过程品质变化规律;以微酸性电解水处理温度、处理时间与料液比为自变量,鲜米线表面微生物杀灭对数值为响应值,应用响应面法优化其最佳处理条件。以最佳处理参数处理鲜米线,以无菌水处理样品作为对照组（CK）,两组样品均置于27℃恒温箱中储藏,定期测定其表面菌落总数、含水量、酸度、pH、色差等指标,探讨SAEW处理对鲜米线贮藏品质变化影响。得出其最佳处理条件为,温度21℃、时间15 min、料液比1：16（m：V）。在此工艺条件下计算所得菌落总数死亡数量级的理论值为3.09 lg CFU/g。进行3次验证实验实际平均菌落死亡数量级为（3.01±0.09） lg CFU/g。在此条件下,SAEW处理能有效控制样品表面微生物数量,同时可延缓褐变及总酸度的增加,减少水分含量的丧失,对pH无显著影响。处理后的鲜米线在贮藏储藏48 h后,表面菌落总数为7.46 lg CFU/g,总酸度为0.392 g/100 g,分别低于对照组的8.73lg CFU/g和0.49 g/100 g。色差值为39.73,水分含量0.69,高于对照组的35.57和0.65。pH为4.64。综合表明,SAEW处理野生菌不仅能控制其表面微生物增长量,还能减缓贮藏品质的劣变速度,该结果可为研究微酸性电解水在鲜湿米线加工中的应用提供理论依据。     

微酸性电解水对黄瓜的消毒效果及安全性评价

目的评价微酸性电解水对黄瓜的消毒效果及安全性能。方法以黄瓜为载体,以大肠杆菌及黄瓜表面的自然菌为指标菌,探究微酸性电解水的消毒效果,并通过一次性皮肤刺激试验及急性经口毒性试验,评价其安全性能。结果 1%大豆卵磷脂、1%硫代硫酸钠、3%吐温80的复配使用能有效中和有效氯浓度为50 mg/L、pH值为6.5的微酸性电解水;微酸性电解水对黄瓜表面的自然菌及添加的大肠杆菌的杀菌效果显著,30次消毒试验后的平均杀灭对数值分别达到2.18和3.08;微酸性电解水小鼠急性经口毒性评价属实际无毒级别,家兔皮肤刺激强度属无刺激。结论微酸性电解水对黄瓜表面的消毒效果显著,且安全、绿色、环保,是一种比较理想的食品消毒剂。     

Action of plasma-activated lactic acid on the inactivation of inoculated Salmonella Enteritidis and quality of beef

This study aimed to investigate the effects of plasma-activated lactic acid (PALA) on Salmonella Enteritidis and beef quality. To improve the antibacterial efficiency of plasma-activated water (PAW), plasma-activated lactic acid (PALA) was prepared by treating lactic acid (0.05–0.20%) with a plasma jet for 40 to 100 s with subsequent application to the surfaces of beef slices (50 × 50 mm, approximately 10 g). Slices were analyzed for changes in surface color, pH, lipid oxidation and odor. In addition, secondary structure (β-sheet and random coil) of the beef protein was determined using Fourier transform infrared spectrometer. We showed that the antibacterial activity of PALA was closely related to the reaction of NO₂⁻ with H₂O₂ as well as the decomposition of NO₂⁻ under acidic conditions. UV-treated fresh beef slices were spot-inoculated with Salmonella Enteritidis (5.67 log CFU/g) and then immersed in PALA solutions for 20 s; leading to a reduction ranging from 1.24 to 3.52 log CFU/g. Data indicated that there was no negative effect of PALA on beef quality parameters. This study not only provided a theoretical basis for developing a novel decontaminant but also enabled PALA to find a way for practical application.Industrial relevanceIn China, a high concentration of lactic acid (2.0–2.5%) is a widely used bactericidal agent in the beef industry. However, it has a negative effect on the odor and protein of the product. The meat industry faces challenges in achieving the balance between the antimicrobial effect on meat and the quality of the product. Based on this, plasma-activated water (PAW) is a hopeful alternative decontaminant for microbial inhibition on meat, made by treating water with non-thermal plasma, containing reactive species, ions and charged particles, which is safe and environmentally friendly. This study demonstrated that plasma-activated lactic acid (PALA) was more effective and stable than PAW. The PALA treatment of beef slices not only led to the reduction of Salmonella Enteritidis but maintained beef quality. PALA appears a promising decontaminant for the meat industry.     

微酸性电解水在食品保鲜消毒领域的应用

微酸性电解水(slightly acidic electrolyzed water, SAEW)是一种具有巨大潜力的非热杀菌技术,目前主要在无隔膜装置中利用直流电流电解进行制备。SAEW的pH值为5.0～6.5,主要成分为强氧化性的次氯酸,能够通过破坏微生物细胞结构和影响微生物生理生化反应来杀灭致病菌。SAEW不但可以高效杀菌,还能同时保持食品的物理品质、营养品质和感官特性。相比较传统的杀菌技术,SAEW具有杀菌广谱、安全无毒、制取成本低、储存稳定性较好等优势,因此越来越受到人们的关注并被广泛研究应用。本文综述了微酸性电解水的制取原理、杀菌机制与特点及微酸性电解水对食品品质的影响与应用现状,并指出了当前研究的局限性和未来研究方向。旨在为微酸性电解水的理论研究和应用提供参考,以期其能在食品行业得到更好的开发推广,提高食品的质量安全。     

Prevention of Enzymatic Browning of Chinese Yam (Dioscorea spp.) Using Electrolyzed Oxidizing Water

In this study, the effects of electrolyzed oxidizing water (EOW) on the prevention of enzymatic browning of fresh‐cut “Jiu Jinhuang” Chinese yam were investigated. The yams were immersed in the inhibitors for 25 min at 20 °C. Compared with the tap water (TW) treatment, the chromatic attributes were significantly different after 72 h of storage (P < 0.05). The activities of polyphenol oxidase (PPO, EC 1.10.3.1), peroxidase (POD, EC 1.11.1.7), and _L‐phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL, EC 4.3.1.5) were inhibited when measured at 24 h. The contents of phenolic acids, including gallic and chlorogenic acid, in the group treated with the slightly acidic electrolyzed water (SAEW) were higher than those treated with TW and neutral electrolyzed water (NEW). The group treated with NEW had the highest total phenol content (P < 0.05, at 24 h), while the group treated with SAEW had the highest flavonoid content (P < 0.05) during storage. Without being treated with inhibitors, the K_m and V_max values of yam PPO were 0.0044 mol/L and 0.02627 U/min, respectively, and the K_i of samples treated with SAEW and citric acid (CA) were 15.6607 and 2.3969 μmol/L, respectively. These results indicate that EOW is beneficial as a browning inhibitor.     

Synergistic effects of high pressure processing and slightly acidic electrolysed water on the inactivation of Bacillus cereus spores

Bacillus spores are concerns for their resistance to heat, high pressure processing (HPP), and disinfectants. We examined the effects of HPP and slightly acidic electrolysed water (SAEW) on inactivation of B. cereus spores. Spores' suspensions were prepared with 2‐(N‐morpholino) ethanesulfonic acid (MES) buffer or SAEW with available chlorine content (ACC) of 24, 35, 44 or 55 mg L^?1, and then subjected to HPP. The individual effects of HPP or SAEW on spores were negligible (<1.0 log CFU mL^?1). With factorial design and anova analysis, HPP + SAEW treatment was shown to have significantly positive effects on spores’ inactivation. The optimal conditions were 300 MPa HPP + SAEW with 44 mg L^?1 ACC or 200 MPa HPP + SAEW with 44 mg L^?1 ACC + 500 MPa HPP, producing reductions of 3.27 and 3.99 log CFU mL^?1, respectively. HPP + SAEW have potentials to serve as two effective hurdle techniques for inactivating B. cereus spores.     

Effect of slightly acidic electrolyzed water for inactivating Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Staphylococcus aureus analyzed by transmission electron microscopy

The use of different available chlorine concentrations (ACCs) of slightly acidic electrolyzed water (SAEW; 0.5 to 30 mg/liter), different treatment times, and different temperatures for inactivating Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Staphylococcus aureus was evaluated. The morphology of both pathogens also was analyzed with transmission electron microscopy. A 3-min treatment with SAEW (pH 6.0 to 6.5) at ACCs of 2 mg/liter for E. coli O157:H7 and 8 mg/liter for S. aureus resulted in 100% inactivation of two cultures (7.92- to 8.75-log reduction) at 25°C. The bactericidal activity of SAEW was independent of the treatment time and temperature at a higher ACC (P > 0.05). E. coli O157:H7 was much more sensitive than S. aureus to SAEW. The morphological damage to E. coli O157:H7 cells by SAEW was significantly greater than that to S. aureus cells. At an ACC as high as 30 mg/liter, E. coli O157:H7 cells were damaged, but S. aureus cells retained their structure and no cell wall damage or shrinkage was observed. SAEW with a near neutral pH may be a promising disinfectant for inactivation of foodborne pathogens.     

微酸性电解水去除蔬菜农药残留效果的研究

目的探讨微酸性电解水(slightly acidic electrolyzed water,SAEW)对蔬菜农药残留的去除效果。方法 利用酶抑制法,建立了蔬菜表面农药残留的定量分析方法 ,酶活抑制率与农药浓度近似呈对数关系,对辛硫磷的检出限为0.49 mg/kg。结果与普通自来水浸泡处理效果比较,SAEW浸泡的去除效果有显着提高(P0.05),处理30 min后,农药去除率高达92%。随着SAEW用量的增加、浸泡时间的增长、以及温度的升高,农药残留率不断降低、农残去除率不断地增加。结论 SAEW由于其特殊的理化性质能有效地降解蔬菜的农药残留,它可能对蔬菜上面有机磷农药起到有效的降解作用,更多问题还有待研究。     

Effects of Electrolyzed Oxidizing Water on Inactivation of Bacillus subtilis and Bacillus cereus Spores in Suspension and on Carriers

Spores of some Bacillus species are responsible for food spoilage and foodborne disease. These spores are highly resistant to various interventions and cooking processes. In this study, the sporicidal efficacy of acidic electrolyzed oxidizing (EO) water (AEW) and slightly acidic EO water (SAEW) with available chlorine concentration (ACC) of 40, 60, 80, 100, and 120 mg/L and treatment time for 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 min were tested on Bacillus subtilis and Bacillus cereus spores in suspension and on carrier with or without organics. The reduction of spore significantly increased with increasing ACC and treatment time (P < 0.05). Nondetectable level of B. cereus spore in suspension occurred within 2 min after exposure to both EO waters containing 120 mg/L ACC, while only SAEW at 120 mg/L and 2 min treatment achieved >6 log reductions of B. subtilis spore. Both types of EO water with ACC of 60 mg/L and 6 min treatment achieved a reduction of B. subtilis and B. cereus spores to nondetectable level. EO water with ACC of 80 mg/L and treatment time of 3 min on carrier test without organics addition resulted in reductions of B. subtilis spore to nondetectable level. But, addition of 0.3% organics on carrier decreased the inactivation effect of EO water. This study indicated that EO water was highly effective in inactivation of B. subtilis and B. cereus spores in suspension or on carrier, and therefore, rendered it as a promising disinfectant to be applied in food industry.     

Physicochemical stability and virucidal effect of diluted,slightly acidic electrolyzed water against human norovirus

Food Science and Biotechnology - This study aimed to evaluate the virucidal effect and potential use as a disinfectant of undiluted and diluted slightly acidic electrolyzed water (SAEW) on human...     

Inactivation and removal of Klebsiella michiganensis biofilm attached to the inner surfaces of piping by plasma-activated microbubble water (PMBW)

Plasma-activated microbubble water (PMBW) is an environmentally friendly sanitizer that possesses potent antimicrobial activities and imparts substantial shear stress to food contact surfaces. In this study, PMBW, plasma-activated water (PAW), microbubble water (MBW), and chlorine water (100 mg/L) were used to clean PVC tubing inoculated by Klebsiella michiganensis. The sanitizer flow with microbubble was numerically simulated by COMSOL Multiphysics® and the shear stress imparted to the bacteria was calculated. The presence of microbubbles in the flow increased the shear stress imparted to the bacteria. The number of K. michiganensis on the inner surfaces of the pipes was ∼7.4 log CFU/cm² before washing. PMBW showed the most potent antimicrobial effect, which reduced the number of bacteria by 3.1 log CFU/cm² at a flow velocity of 1 m/s. PAW, MBW, and chlorine water reduced a similar number of bacteria (2.4 log CFU/ cm² to 2.6 log CFU/ cm²) at all the selected flow velocities. DI water only reduced the number of K. michiganensis by 0.7 log CFU/ cm² at 1 m/s flow velocity.Industrial relevancePMBW can potentially be an environmentally friendly sanitizer, which can be employed by food processors to clean their food processing equipment with minimized usage of chemical sanitizers. The technology developed in this study will benefit the food industry by mitigating potential risks of foodborne pathogens without generating environmental hazards.     

电生功能水抑制微生物及其产生毒素研究进展

由于电生功能水具有广谱杀菌性、效率高、经济、安全、环保等诸多优点,近几年,在抑制或杀灭微生物活性方面受到了人们的普遍关注。目前,强酸性电生功能水的应用已较广泛,也有一些微酸性及中性电生功能水应用于农业、食品领域的报道。随着研究的不断深入,电生功能水与其他多种处理手段的结合,电生功能水杀菌成分与机理,电生功能水的杀菌条件等问题也被不断探究。本文论述电生功能水杀菌、灭活病毒、毒素等方面的最新研究进展,指出目前研究中存在的问题以及今后的发展方向。     

Roles of hydroxyl radicals in electrolyzed oxidizing water (EOW) for the inactivation of Escherichia coli

The food industry has recognized electrolyzed oxidizing water (EOW) as a promising alternative decontamination technique. However, there is not a consensus about the sanitizing mechanism of EOW. In this study, we evaluated the disinfection efficacy of different types of EOW on Escherichia coli. Based on the hypothesis of hydroxyl radicals existing in EOW, in the present study, the hydroxyl radicals existed in slightly acidic electrolyzed water (SAEW) and acidic electrolyzed water (AEW) diluted to different levels were detected quantitatively. An ultraviolet (UV) spectrophotometer was used to scan EOW with different pH values. Accounting for the results of UV scanning to EOW with different pH value and the disinfection efficacy of different types of EOW, it can be concluded that considering the lower chlorine concentration of EOW compared with traditional chlorine disinfectants, the existing form of chlorine compounds rather than the hydroxyl radicals played important role in the disinfection efficacy of EOW.