Effect of cold plasma on the inactivation of Aspergillus flavusspores contaminating pistachio

Pistachio tree nut is rich in nutrients and an export product that is contaminated by pathogenic agentsand their toxins. The Aspergillus flavus fungus and the aflatoxin it produces make pistachio inedible. Thepurpose of this study is to review the mechanisms of cold plasma microbial inactivation and the effect of thistechnology on the inactivation of A. flavus spores contaminating pistachio. Researches conducted in the lastdecade have shown the ability of cold plasma technology to inactivate A. flavus spores and aflatoxinproduced by this fungus, maintain the quality and nutritional value of pistachio, do not produce toxiccompounds and cause minimal damage to the product's texture. Therefore, cold plasma technology withmany advantages such as low temperature, short time, high efficiency and reduced water consumption can bea good alternative to other food sterilization methods which more extensive studies on plasma mechanisms,safety evaluation, optimization, standardization of parameters and consideration of costs are necessary toincrease scale and industrial implementation.

Effect of cold plasma on the inactivation of Aspergillus flavusspores contaminating pistachio Keywords:

Pistachio , Spore , Aspergillus flavus , Aflatoxin , Cold plasma