Effect of different cold plasma pretreatment periods on quality, phenolic compounds, and browning control of apple slices during vacuum microwave drying

作者：Meng Zhang, Junbo Liu, Hao Jiang · 发表于：Drying Technology · 年份：2025 · DOI：10.1080/07373937.2025.2500473 · 被引用次数：4 · 研究领域：Postharvest Quality and Shelf Life Management、Food Drying and Modeling、Plant Physiology and Cultivation Studies

Cold plasma (CP) is an innovative non-thermal sterilization technique that preserves food quality. In this study, CP was used as the pretreatment for anti-browning before vacuum microwave drying (VMD) of apple chips. After VMD, apple chips were stored at room temperature in darkness for 30 days. The effects of CP treatment (20, 40, 60, 80 s) on the basic physical and chemical properties, enzyme activity, water migration, and microstructure of fresh-cut apple and apple chips during storage were investigated. The results indicated that 80 s of CP treatment significantly increased titratable acidity (by 4.35%), soluble solids (by 13.79%), and total phenolic content (by 22.12%) in fresh-cut apples, without negatively affecting firmness or color. Additionally, CP treatment reduced polyphenol oxidase (PPO) and peroxidase (POD) activities, while it increased phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) activity in apple chips during storage, thereby promoting the preservation of phenolic compounds. Furthermore, CP exposure for durations exceeding 60 s resulted in surface etching and enhanced moisture migration during drying, as evidenced by increased crack formation in the apple slices.