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The effects of dielectric barrier discharge plasma gas and plasma‐activated water on texture, color, and bacterial characteristics of shiitake mushroom

This paper presents the first study on the effects of 20‐min dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) gas plasma and arc plasma‐activated water (PAW) on the total bacterial count (TBC), color values, and textural characteristics of shiitake on day 0 and day 7 of storage at 4 °C. The results were then compared to those of untreated samples (DC) and samples soaked in distilled water (WC). According to the results, after 7 days of storage, TBC of PAW‐ and DBD‐treated samples were 0.89 ± 0.01 and 0.6 ± 0.05 log CFU/g lower than those of control samples, respectively. Furthermore, both DBD and PAW treatments reduced the overall color changes (∆E) in samples during storage. Besides, PAW‐treated samples had the greatest texture firmness value (1.27 ± 0.16 N) after a week of storage. These findings along with a good potential for the upscaling process suggest PAW can be a prospective commercial technique for extending the shelf‐life of fresh shiitake mushrooms. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: The feasibility of shelf‐life enhancement of fresh produce confers a great interest in cold plasma gas and plasma‐activated water (PAW) with respect to their industrial application. Particularly, extending the shelf‐life of shiitake is an important topic for exporters of this fresh agricultural product, considering the high demands for this product in many countries. The findings of the present study introduced cold plasma, especially arc PAW, as a promising technique for shelf‐life enhancement of shiitake mushroom. The preservation method proposed in this study is scalable and further economic and engineering studies may result in its industrial application.