Effect of post-harvest cold plasma treatment on physicochemical properties and inactivation of Penicillium digitatum in Persian lime fruit

Cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) treatment is used in this study to inactivate Penicillium digitatum in lime fruit at post-harvest. Limes were inoculated manually with P. digitatum spore (10(6) CFU/fruit) and then were treated with CAP at 30, 60, 90, and 120 s and compared with untreated samples. The results showed that increasing the exposure time of CAP reduced spores to less than 7 CFU/fruit in 120 s on the lime peel. In the treated samples, antioxidant activity had an upward trend. In addition, phenolic compounds, vitamin C, density, soluble solid content (SSC), color, and pH of the lime juice were increased (P < 0.05). Compared to the control sample, no significant changes were observed in the juice yield percentage, texture, acidity, chlorophyll, and carotenoid (P > 0.05). The best exposure for CAP treatment was 60 s since it increased phenolic compounds, antioxidant activity, and vitamin C content in the lime juice.