Inactivation of viruses using nonthermal plasma in viral suspensions and foodstuff: A short review of recent studies

• Published in: Journal of food safety Vol. 41; no. 5
• Main Authors: Aman Mohammadi, Masoud, Ahangari, Hossein, Zabihzadeh Khajavi, Maryam, Yousefi, Mohammad, Scholtz, Vladimír, Hosseini, Seyede Marzieh
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hoboken, USA John Wiley & Sons, Inc 01.10.2021; Blackwell Publishers Inc
• Subjects: Deoxyribonucleic acid; DNA; Food; Food safety; Gastroenteritis; Genomes; Inactivation; Oxidation; Parameters; Pasteurization; Plasma; Singlet oxygen; Technology; Thermal degradation; Viruses
• ISSN: 0149-6085; 1745-4565
• DOI: 10.1111/jfs.12919

This review tries to introduce the novel and promising technology of the nonthermal plasma against different viruses and virus surrogates, which can trigger food infections and gastroenteritis. It has been reported that the noroviruses are responsible for 21 million cases of gastrointestinal illness annually just in the United States. The article is divided into the introduction for nonthermal plasma, its antiviral mechanism, and the most effective parameters on its antiviral functionality. This technology offers many advantages, including simple in designing, leaving no toxic residues, fast processing, and no thermal degradation of samples. According to the accomplished studies, the exposure distance, processing time, and generated amount of reactive species, particularly singlet oxygen are the main parameters affecting the performance of nonthermal plasma against food viruses. Especially, the capsid and genome of viruses seem to be under influence of nonthermal plasma. Deformation of the capsid envelope through oxidation and damage to the sugar phosphate backbone of viral RNA and DNA are considered the most important factors of reactive species generated by nonthermal plasma on viruses. The article is divided into the introduction for nonthermal plasma, its antiviral mechanism, and the most effective parameters on its antiviral functionality. This technology offers many advantages, including simple in designing, leaving no toxic residues, fast processing, and no thermal degradation of samples. According to the accomplished studies, the exposure distance, processing time, and generated amount of reactive species, particularly singlet oxygen are the main parameters affecting the performance of non‐thermal plasma against food viruses.