Effective control of citrus green mold using plasma-activated water with hydrogen peroxide vapor: A non-thermal approach

In this study, a novel approach for controlling Citrus sinensis Salustiana green mold disease in oranges was developed using plasma-activated water (PAW) generated by a Surface Dielectric Barrier Discharge (SDBD) system reinforced with H₂O₂ cold vapor. Penicillium digitatum, the primary cause of orange mold, was the target of the treatment. The efficiency of the setup was investigated in three stages. First, a suspension of P. digitatum spores was directly treated with Ar/H₂O₂ plasma to estimate the optimal plasma exposure time required for maximum fungal inactivation. Second, the impact of Argon/H₂O₂ plasma-treated water (PTW), generated from various plasma exposure times, on mold growth on orange peels was examined. For this, orange peels were placed in Ar/H₂O₂-PTW for different durations, and mold occurrence was monitored. Finally, the effect of PTW, generated from various Ar/H₂O₂ plasma exposure times, on mold growth on whole oranges was investigated. Oranges were treated with Ar/H₂O₂-PTW for different durations, and mold occurrence was analyzed. The results demonstrated that a 20-min treatment of oranges with PTW produced from a 420-s Ar/H₂O₂ plasma exposure time led to complete inactivation of P. digitatum. This study showed that this hybrid scenario can be effectively used for fungal decontamination in the food industry.