December 03, 2025 | Innovative Food Science & Emerging Technologies |
The application of air-cold plasma jet treatment on mangosteen juice—a product sensitive to conventional thermal processing—was evaluated in a study by Rajamangala University of Technology Thanyaburi, Thailand. Conventional thermal methods often degrade nutritional and sensory qualities, leading to interest in nonthermal technologies for fruit juice preservation.
The researchers tested different processing conditions by varying the duty cycle of the power source (30%–70%), air flow rate (1–5 L/min), and treatment duration (2–10 minutes). They evaluated changes in pH, color, ascorbic acid, anthocyanins, flavonoids, phenolic content, enzyme activities, and antioxidant activity. Results showed that cold plasma effectively reduced polyphenol oxidase activity by up to 60%, helping to prevent enzymatic browning, while peroxidase activity varied depending on conditions.
Optimal treatment (60% duty cycle, 4 L/min airflow, and 4 minutes) led to marked improvements in bioactive compounds, including an 87.75% increase in ascorbic acid and substantial increases in phenolics, flavonoids, and anthocyanins. Antioxidant activity was also enhanced, particularly through improved DPPH radical scavenging capacity, while juice color remained stable.
The findings suggest that cold plasma jet treatment is a promising nonthermal technology for mangosteen juice, capable of maintaining its nutritional quality and stability while extending its potential for commercial processing.
