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    Plasma-oxidative degradation of polyphenolics – Influence of non-thermal gas discharges with respect to fresh produce processing
    (Prague : ČSAZV, 2009) Grzegorzewski, F.; Schlüter, O.; Ehlbeck, J.; Weltmann, K.-D.; Geyer, M.; Kroh, L.W.; Rohn, S.
    Non-thermal plasma treatment is a promising technology to enhance the shelf-life of fresh or minimaly processed food. An efficient inactivation of microorganisms comes along with a moderate heating of the treated surface. To elucidate the influence of highly reactive plasma-immanent species on the stability and chemical behaviour of phytochemicals, several polyphenolics were exposed to an atmospheric pressure plasma jet (APPJ). The selected flavonoids are ideal target compounds due to their antioxidant activity protecting cells against the damaging effects of reactive oxygen species such as singlet oxygen, superoxide, peroxyl radicals, hydroxyl radicals and peroxynitrite. Reactions were carried out at various radio-frequency voltages, using Ar as a feeding gas. Degradation was followed by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography.
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    Plasma-treated air and water-assessment of synergistic antimicrobial effects for sanitation of food processing surfaces and environment
    (Basel : MDPI, 2019) Schnabel, Uta; Handorf, Oliver; Yarova, Kateryna; Zessin, Björn; Zechlin, Susann; Sydow, Diana; Zellmer, Elke; Stachowiak, Jörg; Andrasch, Mathias; Below, Harald; Ehlbeck, Jörg
    The synergistic antimicrobial effects of plasma-processed air (PPA) and plasma-treated water (PTW), which are indirectly generated by a microwave-induced non-atmospheric pressure plasma, were investigated with the aid of proliferation assays. For this purpose, microorganisms (Listeria monocytogenes, Escherichia coli, Pectobacterium carotovorum, sporulated Bacillus atrophaeus) were cultivated as monocultures on specimens with polymeric surface structures. Both the distinct and synergistic antimicrobial potential of PPA and PTW were governed by the plasma-on time (5–50 s) and the treatment time of the specimens with PPA/PTW (1–5 min). In single PTW treatment of the bacteria, an elevation of the reduction factor with increasing treatment time could be observed (e.g., reduction factor of 2.4 to 3.0 for P. carotovorum). In comparison, the combination of PTW and subsequent PPA treatment leads to synergistic effects that are clearly not induced by longer treatment times. These findings have been valid for all bacteria (L. monocytogenes > P. carotovorum = E. coli). Controversially, the effect is reversed for endospores of B. atrophaeus. With pure PPA treatment, a strong inactivation at 50 s plasma-on time is detectable, whereas single PTW treatment shows no effect even with increasing treatment parameters. The use of synergistic effects of PTW for cleaning and PPA for drying shows a clear alternative for currently used sanitation methods in production plants. Highlights: Non-thermal atmospheric pressure microwave plasma source used indirect in two different modes—gaseous and liquid; Measurement of short and long-living nitrite and nitrate in corrosive gas PPA (plasma-processed air) and complex liquid PTW (plasma-treated water); Application of PTW and PPA in single and combined use for biological decontamination of different microorganisms.