Impact of rotational cold plasma treatment on polyphenol oxidase inhibition, bioactive compounds, and aroma profile of ginger

This study investigates the effects of low-pressure cold plasma treatment (CPT; power: 10, 50, and 90 W, pressure: 0.4, 0.65, and 0.9 mbar, and time: 1, 15.5, and 30 min) on ginger quality using a rotary chamber system. All cold plasma treatments resulted in a reduction of polyphenol oxidase (PPO) activity. The highest PPO residual activity was observed after treatment with 10 W,1 min, 0.4 mbar without rotation. A significant reduction of 38.15% in water activity, a key parameter influencing shelf life, was observed in comparison to the non-treated sample (p < 0.05) after CPT (50 W, 0.65 mbar, 15.5 min, and with rotation). High-performance liquid chromatography analysis showed the highest content of 14.68 mg.g -1 6-gingerol after CPT (10 W, 0.4 mbar, 1 min). 8-Gingerol and 10-shogaol appeared to be more stable during CPT. E-nose analysis indicated that CP simultaneously degraded key volatiles while creating new aromatic compounds. GC-MS analysis further revealed that CP changed the levels of the characteristic terpenes and produced volatile acids and aldehydes. No new functional groups were formed, according to ATR-FTIR analysis, suggesting that CP induced only minor modifications to the molecular structure at the surface. • Novel rotational system enhances cold plasma treatment homogeneity in ginger. • RSM optimized plasma parameters to maximize retention of ginger bioactives. • Optimized treatment reduced PPO activity. • Rotation during plasma processing was critical for preserving aroma intensity. • ATR-FTIR and E-nose analyses confirmed minimal changes in structure and aroma profile