Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Optimum cold plasma generating device for treatment of Aspergillus flavus from nuts surface

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Journal of Food Science and Technology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The objective of this research is to avail an optimum cold plasma generating device for inactivating Aspergillus flavus from nuts surface. For this purpose, a variety of tests were carried out using three applicable plasma generating devices such as atmospheric pressure capacitive coupled plasma (AP-CCP), direct current diode plasma (DC-DP), and inductively coupled plasma (ICP) for different values of input power, pressure, and irradiation time, using Argon gas. The experimental results were achieved upon performing irradiation of sample pistachio nuts by the aforementioned three devices. Finally, after data analysis based on two factors of toxin inactivation amount and cost feasibility for large scale industrial applications, the AP-CCP device was found to be as an optimum device with an acceptable 4 Logs fungi reduction. However, on the basis of single factor, i.e. toxin reduction rate, the DC-DP device works better with a highest fungi reduction rate of 5 Logs, using Argon in 1 Torr vacuum pressure, 300 W and 20 min irradiation.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Bellı N, Marın S, Sanchis V, Ramos AJ (2004) Influence of water activity and temperature on growth of isolates of Aspergillus section Nigri obtained from grapes. Int J Food Microbiol 96:19–27

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Beuchat LR (1984) Comparison of Aspergillus differential medium and Aspergillusflavus/parasiticus agar for enumerating total yeasts and molds and potentially aflatoxigenic aspergilli in peanuts, corn meal and cowpeas. J Food Prot 47:512–519

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Beuchat LR (1992) Media for detecting and enumerating yeasts and moulds. Int J Food Microbiol 17:145–158

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Beuchat LR (1993) Selective media for detecting and enumerating foodborne yeasts. Int J Food Microbiol 19:1–14

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Dasan BG, Mutlu M, Boyaci IH (2016) Decontamination of Aspergillusflavus and Aspergillusparasiticus spores on hazelnuts via atmospheric pressure fluidized bed plasma reactor. Int J Food Microbiol 216:50–59

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Dehghan P, Zeyni F, Mahmoudi M, Jebali A, Kordbacheh P, Rezaei S (2008) Aflatoxin and sclerotia production in clinical isolates of Aspergillusflavus group. Iran J Public Health 37:41–50

    Google Scholar 

  • Goryacheva IY, Saeger SD, Eremin SA, Peteghem CV (2007) Immunochemical methods for rapid mycotoxin detection: evolution from single to multiple analyte screening: a review. Food Addit Contam 24:1169–1183

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Grainger J, Hurst J, Burdass D (2001) Basic practical microbiology: a manual. In: The society for general microbiology

  • Kim JE, Lee DU, Min SC (2014) Microbial decontamination of red pepper powder by cold plasma. Food Microbiol 38:128–136

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kim JE, Oh YJ, Won MY, Lee KS, Min SC (2017) Microbial decontamination of onion powder using microwave-powered cold plasma treatments. Food Microbiol 62:112–123

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lahouar A, Marin S, Crespo-Sempere A, Saïd S, Sanchis V (2016) Effects of temperature, water activity and incubation time on fungal growth and aflatoxin B1 production by toxinogenic Aspergillusflavus isolates on sorghum seeds. Rev Argent Microbiol 48:78–85

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lee KH, Woo KS, Yong HI, Jo C, Lee SK, Lee BW, Oh SK, Lee YY, Lee B, Kim HJ (2018) Assessment of microbial safety and quality changes of brown and white cooked rice treated with atmospheric pressure plasma. Food Sci Biotechnol 27:661–667

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Los A, Ziuzina D, Boehm D, Cullen PJ, Bourke P (2017) The potential of atmospheric air cold plasma for control of bacterial contaminants relevant to cereal grain production. Innov Food Sci Emerg Technol 44:36–45

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Martins H, Almeida I, Marques M, Bernardo F (2008) Interaction of wild strains of Aspergilla with Aspergillusparasiticus ATCC15517 on aflatoxins production. Int J Mol Sci 9:394–400

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • McClenny N (2005) Laboratory detection and identification of Aspergillus species by microscopic observation and culture: the traditional approach. Med Mycol 43:125–128

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Misra NN, Patil S, Moiseev T, Bourke P, Mosnier JP, Keener KM, Cullen PJ (2014) In-package atmospheric pressure cold plasma treatment of strawberries. J Food Eng 125:131–138

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mojtahedi H, Rabie CJ, Lubben A, Steyn M, Danesh D (1979) Toxic aspergilli from pistachio nuts. Mycopathologia 67:123–127

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Nikiforov A, Deng X, Xiong Q, Cvelbar U, DeGeyter N, Morent R, Leys C (2016) Non-thermal plasma technology for the development of antimicrobial surfaces: a review. J Phys D Appl Phys 49:204002

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Oh S, Yi B, Kim MJ, Lee J (2015) Effects of deuterium oxide on formation of volatiles in linoleic acid model systems at different temperatures and oxygen limitation conditions. Food Sci Biotechnol 24:41–46

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Samapundo S, Devlieghere F, Geeraed AH, De Meulenaer B, Van Impe JF, Debevere J (2007) Modeling of the individual and combined effects of water activity and temperature on the radial growth of Aspergillusflavus and A.parasiticus on corn. J Food Microbiol 24:517–529

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sarrami S, Jafari P, Ebrahimi MT, Mousavi SN, Hosseini SA (2019) Effects of various Toxeat $^{®} $ concentrations on growth performance, immune response, cecal microflora, and gut morphology in broilers fed with aflatoxin contaminated diets. Turk J Vet Anim Sci 43:299–305

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Schnabel U, Niquet R, Schlüter O, Gniffke H, Ehlbeck J (2015) Decontamination and sensory properties of microbiologically contaminated fresh fruits and vegetables by microwave plasma processed air (PPA). J Food Process Preserv 39(6):653–662

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Shama G, Kong MG (2012) Prospects for treating foods with cold atmospheric gas plasmas. Plasma for bio-decontamination, medicine and food security. Springer, Dordrecht, pp 433–443

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Suganthini K, Manavathu EK, Chandrasekar PH (2009) Aspergillusflavus: an emerging non-fumigatus Aspergillus species of significance. Mycoses 52:206–222

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tasouji MA, Ghorashi AH, Hamedmoosavian MT, Mahmoudi MB (2018) Inactivation of pistachio contaminant Aspergillusflavus by Atmospheric Pressure Capacitive Coupled Plasma (AP-CCP). J Microbiol Biotechnol Food Sci 8:668–671

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Thirumdas R, Sarangapani C, Annapure US (2015) Cold plasma: a novel non-thermal technology for food processing. Food Biophys 10:1–11

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tsitsigiannis DI, Dimakopoulou M, Antoniou PP, Tjamos EC (2012) Biological control strategies of mycotoxigenic fungi and associated mycotoxins in Mediterranean basin crops. Phytopathol Mediterr 51:158–174

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ziuzina D, Patil S, Cullen PJ, Keener KM, Bourke P (2014) Atmospheric cold plasma inactivation of Escherichiacoli, Salmonellaenterica serovar Typhimurium and Listeriamonocytogenes inoculated on fresh produce. Food Microbiol 42:109–116

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

We are thankful to Mr. Baalall, Animal Husbandry Faculty, Tehran University, as well as Dr. Shams. M. Khajenasiri and Dr. S. Hashemi, Pastor Laboratory Tehran, Iran, for their kind expertise assistance in facilitating the required microbial cultures in this research work. In addition, the thorough language editing of the manuscript contributed by Dr. N. Zarsaav is sincerely acknowledged by Authors.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Plasma and Nuclear Fusion Research School, Nuclear Science and Technology Research Institute, Tehran, Iran

    A. H. Ghorashi & A. Kargarian

  2. Chemical Engineering Group, Faculty of Engineering, Azad University, Marvdasht, Iran

    M. A. Roosta Tasouji

Authors
  1. A. H. Ghorashi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. M. A. Roosta Tasouji
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. A. Kargarian
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to A. H. Ghorashi.

Additional information

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Ghorashi, A.H., Tasouji, M.A.R. & Kargarian, A. Optimum cold plasma generating device for treatment of Aspergillus flavus from nuts surface. J Food Sci Technol 57, 3988–3994 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13197-020-04429-y

Download citation

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13197-020-04429-y

Keywords

Search

Navigation