Effect of Cold Plasma Treatment on the Quality of Fresh-Cut Hami Melons during Chilling Storage

Abstract

Cold plasma (CP) is an alternative to traditional thermal sterilization techniques. This study aimed to investigate the preservation effects of CP treatment at 120 kV and 130 Hz for 150 s on fresh-cut Hami melons during storage at 4 °C for 8 d. There was no significant difference in the pH, color, firmness, and soluble solids content of the two groups during 0–4 days of storage. After CP treatment, the enzyme activities, total viable count (TVC), and values of the electronic nose (E-nose) changed. During storage, the increase in polyphenol oxidase (PPO) and peroxidase (POD) activities was inhibited by CP treatment. Initially, CP treatment yielded a 1.06 log reduction in total viable count (TVC). During storage, the TVC of the CP-treated group was significantly lower than that of the untreated group. CP treatment affected the E-nose values related to ketones, terpenes, polar, aromatic, and sulphur compounds. This study indicated that high-voltage and short-time CP treatment can extend the shelf-life of fresh-cut Hami melons by inhibiting oxidation and reducing microbial contamination without negative effects on physical quality.