Extension of Tomato Shelf Life via Nitric Oxide Treatment Using Air Plasma

• Published in: Plasma chemistry and plasma processing 2025, Vol.45 (1), p.297-311
• Main Authors: Park, Joo Young, Baek, Ki Ho, Lee, Hyungyu, Song, Jong-Seok, Park, Seungil, Jee, Sung Hoon, Jung, Sunghoon, Choi, Juyeon, Lee, Seunghoon, Park, Sanghoo
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Air plasma; Carbon dioxide; Characterization and Evaluation of Materials; Chemistry; Chemistry and Materials Science; Classical Mechanics; Dielectric barrier discharge; Inorganic Chemistry; Irradiation; Mechanical Engineering; Nitric oxide; Nitrous acid; Original Paper; Photolysis; Plasma; Respiration; Ripening; Shelf life; Tomatoes; Ultraviolet radiation
• ISSN: 0272-4324; 1572-8986
• DOI: 10.1007/s11090-024-10520-5

Nitric oxide (NO) generation-enhanced atmospheric-pressure plasma technology has been investigated as a nonthermal intervention technology for prolonging the ripening period of tomatoes. UV-irradiated dielectric barrier discharge plasma reaches the NO-enhanced mode earlier, and NO is rapidly involved in the inhibition of tomato respiration. With as little as 26 W of power in total, the NO-processing of tomatoes using plasma technology helps control the postripening of tomatoes. The NO-enrichment mechanism was analyzed through numerical calculations, which revealed that the photolysis of ozone (O 3 ) and nitrous acid (HONO) occurred during UV irradiation. The measured amount of CO 2 emitted from plasma-treated tomatoes was ~ 300 ppm lower than that emitted from nontreated tomatoes, indicating that metabolism and respiration were inhibited. In addition, the NO-enhanced plasma treatment of tomatoes is considered to be more effective because the so-treated tomatoes emitted 100 ppm less CO 2 than the plasma-treated tomatoes. The delay of respiration through plasma treatment can help prevent color changes or decreases in the firmness of tomatoes.