Antimicrobial Applications of Atmospheric Cold Plasma

Atmospheric non-thermal (cold) plasma is an innovative and non-thermal decontamination technology. Atmospheric non-thermal plasma has the potential to reduce pathogenic microorganisms in water and on surfaces of food products at high- and low water activity environments. 

Research Directions:

  • Generation, characterization, and treatments using plasma activated air, water, mist, and bubbles (micro/ultra fine/nano bubbles)
  • Inactivation of desiccated microbial pathogens and biofilms
  • Continuous treatment development

Students and Postdocs:

Barun Yadav, Ehsan Feizollahi, Harleen Dhaliwal

Collaborators:
Dr. Lynn McMullen (Department of AFNS, University of Alberta)
Dr. Ying Tsui (Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Alberta)
Dr. Aman Ullah  (Department of AFNS, University of Alberta)
Dr. Xiaonan Lu (McGill University)
Dr. Ruurd Zijlstra (Department of AFNS, University of Alberta)
Dr. Stephen Strelkov (Department of AFNS, University of Alberta)
Dr. Lingyun Chen (Department of AFNS, University of Alberta)
Dr. Xianqin Yang (Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada)
Dr. Malinda Thilakaratna (Department of AFNS, University of Alberta)

Publications

  1. *Yadav, B., & **Roopesh, M. S. Inactivation mechanisms of Listeria monocytogenes after in-package atmospheric cold plasma treatment and post treatment storage (Submitted). 
  2. Rao, W., Li, Y., Dhaliwal, H., Feng, M., Xiang, Q., Roopesh, M. S., Dong, P., Du, L. Application of cold plasma technology in low-moisture foods: A review. (Submitted). 
  3. *Adam, A. M., Jeganathan, B., Vasanthan, T., & **Roopesh. M. S.  Dipping fresh-cut apples in citric acid before plasma integrated low-pressure cooling improves the inactivation of Salmonella and polyphenol oxidase. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture. https://doi.org/10.1002/jsfa.11690
  4. *Yadav, B., & **Roopesh, M. S. Synergistically enhanced Salmonella reduction by sequential treatment of organic acids and atmospheric cold plasma and the mechanism study. Food Microbiology. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fm.2021.103976 
  5. *Feizollahi, & **Roopesh. M. S. Degradation of zearalenone by atmospheric cold plasma: Effect of selected process and product parameters. Food and Bioprocess Technology. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11947-021-02692-1 
  6. *Adam, A. M., *Yadav, B., *Prasad, A., *Gautam, B., Tsui, Y., & **Roopesh. M. S. Salmonella inactivation and rapid cooling of fresh cut apples by plasma integrated low-pressure cooling. Food Research International. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodres.2021.110464
  7. *Feizollahi, E., Mirmahdi, R. S., Zoghi, A., **Roopesh. M. S., & **Vasanthan, T. Review of the anti-nutritional and beneficial qualities of phytic acid, and procedures for removing it from food products. Food Research International. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodres.2021.110284
  8. *Feizollahi, E., **Roopesh. M. S. Mechanisms of deoxynivalenol (DON) degradation during different treatments: A review. Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition. https://doi.org/10.1080/10408398.2021.1895056
  9. *Iqdiam, B., *Feizollahi, E., *Arif, M. F., Jeganathan, B., Vasanthan, T., Thilakarathna, M., & **Roopesh, M. S. Reduction of T-2 and HT-2 mycotoxins by atmospheric cold plasma and its impact on quality changes and germination of wheat grains. Journal of Food Science. http://doi.org/10.1111/1750-3841.15658
  10. *Feizollahi, E., Misra, N. N., **Roopesh, M. S. Factors influencing the antimicrobial efficacy of dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) atmospheric cold plasma (ACP) in food processing applications. Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition. https://doi.org/10.1080/10408398.2020.1743967
  11. *Zhang, S., Huang, W., Feizollahi, E., **Roopesh, M. S., **Chen, L.  Improvement of pea protein gelation at reduced temperature by atmospheric cold plasma and the gelling mechanism study. Innovative Food Science and Emerging Technologies. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ifset.2020.102567
  12. *Yadav, B., *Spinelli, A. C., Govindan, B., Misra, N. N., Tsui, Y. Y., McMullen, L. M., **Roopesh, M. S. Effect of in-package atmospheric cold plasma discharge on microbial safety and quality of ready-to-eat ham in modified atmospheric packaging during storage. Journal of Food Science (Available online). http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/1750-3841.15072
  13. *Feizollahi, E., *Iqdiam, B., **Vasanthan, T., Thilakarathna, M., **Roopesh, M. S. Effect of atmospheric-pressure cold plasma treatment on deoxynivalenol degradation, quality parameters, and germination of barley grains. Applied Sciences, 10(10), 3530, https://doi.org/10.3390/app10103530. Invited paper to the special issue “Plasma Techniques in Agriculture, Biology and Food Production” of Applied Sciences Journal.
  14. *Feizollahi, E., Arshad, M., *Yadav, B., Ullah, A., **Roopesh. M. S. Degradation of deoxynivalenol by atmospheric-pressure cold plasma and sequential treatments with heat and UV light. Food Engineering Reviews. Invited paper to the special issue for selected original research papers presented at the 2019 IFT NPD / EFFoST International Nonthermal Processing Workshop & Short Courses. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12393-020-09241-0.
  15. *Yadav, B., & **Roopesh, M. S. In-Package atmospheric cold plasma treatments of freeze-dried pet foods: Effect of treatment time, water activity, and storage on the inactivation of Salmonella. Innovative Food Science and Emerging Technologies. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ifset.2020.102543
  16. *Chaplot, S., *Yadav, B., Jeon, B., **Roopesh, M. S. (2019). Atmospheric cold plasma and peracetic acid-based hurdle intervention to reduce Salmonella on raw poultry meat. Journal of Food Protection. 82(5), 878-888. https://doi.org/10.4315/0362-028X.JFP-18-377
  17. Misra, N. N., *Yadav, B., **Roopesh, M. S., Jo, C. (2019). Cold plasma for effective fungal and mycotoxin control in foods: Mechanisms, inactivation effects and applications. Comprehensive reviews in food science and food safety, 18, 106-120. https://doi.org/10.1111/1541-4337.12398
  18. *Yadav, B., *Spinelli, A. C., Govindan, B., Tsui, Y. Y., McMullen, L. M., **Roopesh, M. S. (2019). Cold plasma treatment of ready-to-eat deli meat: Influence of process conditions and storage on inactivation of Listeria innocua. Food Research International, 123, 276-285. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodres.2019.04.065

Project Sponsors:

NSERC Discovery and CRD, Alberta Agriculture and Forestry, Alberta Innovates, Alberta Canola Producers Commission (ACPC), Mitacs, Beef Cattle Research Council. 

                                                               Atmospheric plasma jet system