Non-thermal Atmospheric Plasma (NTAP) is a cutting-edge technology which has gained much attention during the last decade in the food-processing sector as a promising technology for food preservation and maintenance of food safety, with minimal impact on the quality attributes of foods, thanks to its effectiveness in microbial inactivation, including of pathogens, spoilage fungi and bacterial spores, simple design, ease of use, cost-effective operation, short treatment times, lack of toxic effects, and significant reduction of water consumption. This review article provides a general overview of the principles of operation and applications of NTAP in the agri-food sector. In particular, the numerous studies carried out in the last decade aimed at deciphering the influence of different environmental factors and processing parameters on the microbial inactivation attained are discussed. In addition, this review also considers some important studies aimed at elucidating the complex mechanism of microbial inactivation by NTAP. Finally, other potential applications of NTAP in the agri-food sector, apart from food decontamination, are briefly described, and some limitations for the immediate industrial implementation of NTAP are discussed (e.g., impact on the nutritional and sensory quality of treated foods; knowledge on the plasma components and reactive species responsible for the antimicrobial activity; possible toxicity of some of the chemical species generated; scale-up by designing fit-for-purpose equipment).

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Ethanol-induced oxidative damage is commonly associated with the generation of reactive oxygen molecules, leading to oxidative stress. Considering that antioxidant activity is an important mechanism of action involved in cytoprotection, the aim of this work was to evaluate the antioxidant properties of the alkaloid indigo (1) (2 mg/kg, P. O.), obtained from the leaves of Indigofera truxillensis Kunth (Fabaceae), on rat gastric mucosa submitted to ethanol-induced (100%, 1 mL, P. O.) gastric ulcer. Enzymatic assays and DNA fragmentation analysis were performed. When ethanol was administered to the control group, the sulfhydryl content (SH) and the glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activity decreased by 41% and 50%, respectively; in contrast, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione reductase (GR) activities increased by 56% and 67%, respectively. Additionally, myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity, a marker for free radical generation caused by polymorphonuclear neutrophil (PMN) tissue infiltration, also increased 4.5-fold after ethanol treatment. Rat gastric mucosa exposed to ethanol showed DNA fragmentation. Indigo alkaloid pretreatment protected rats from ethanol-induced gastric lesions. This effect was determined by the ulcerative lesion area (ULA), indicating an inhibition of around 80% at 2 mg/kg. This alkaloid also diminished GPx activity, which was higher than that observed with ethanol alone. However, this effect was counterbalanced by increased GR activity. Indigo was unable to restore alterations in SOD activity promoted by ethanol. After indigo pretreatment, SH levels and MPO activity remained normal and gastric mucosa DNA damage caused by ethanol was also partially prevented by indigo. These results suggest that the gastroprotective mechanisms of indigo include non-enzymatic antioxidant effects and the inhibition of PMN infiltration which, in combination, partially protect the gastric mucosa against ethanol-induced DNA damage.

Syngonanthus arthrotrichus SILVEIRA (Eriocaulaceae) popularly know as "sempre-vivas mini-saia" is found chiefly in the Espinhaço mountain range in the Brazilian states of Bahia and Minas Gerais where it grows in rocky or sandy soil in areas of open vegetation. 1)The family Eriocaulaceae is complex and includes diverse herbaceous, monocotyledonous species which have miniature flowers grouped in clusters. These plants have inflorescences and scapes that retain the appearance of living structures when dried.2) Species of the genus Syngonanthus are of economic importance since they are exported as ornamental plants to various countries.Little is known about the ethnopharmacology of Syngonanthus species. Phytochemical studies have detected a variety of chemical constituents, 3,4) including flavonoids which have antiulcerogenic, antioxidant, 5) and immunostimulant actions. 6)Gastric and duodenal ulcers affect a large proportion of the world population and are induced by several factors, including stress, smoking, nutritional deficiencies, and ingestion of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. 7,8) Protection of the gastric mucosa involves the factors such as acid-pepsin secretion, parietal cell activity, mucosal barrier, mucus secretion, blood flow, cell regeneration, and the release of endogenous protective agents, especially prostaglandins and epidermal growth factors. 9)Numerous approaches have been used to combat gastric ulcers, including the control of acid secretion, Helicobacter pylori level, and H ϩ /K ϩ -ATPase activity, in an attempt to reverse mucosal damage and inflammation. 10) In this context, extracts and active principles from plants could serve as leads for the development of new drugs.11) Flavonoids such as catechin, hypoletin, apigenin, luteolin, rugin, and genistein have antiulcer activity. 12-15)The objective of this study was to investigate the antiulcerogenic action of extracts from Syngonanthus arthrotrichus in ulcers induced by different agents in mice and rats and to examine the action mechanisms involved. Syngonanthus arthrotrichus SILVEIRA, popularly known as "sempre-vivas mini-saia," is found in mountains of the Espinhaço range in the Brazilian states of Bahia and Minas Gerais. Extracts of this species contain several constituents, including flavonoids which may have antiulcerogenic activity. An ethanolic extract (EEOH), and flavonoid-rich (FRF) and flavonoid-deficient (FDF) fractions obtained from the scapes of S. arthrotrichus were investigated for their ability to prevent ulceration of the gastric mucosa in mice and rats. In the ethanol/HCl-induced ulcer model, lansoprazole (30 mg/kg), EEOH (50, 100, 250 mg/kg) given orally protected the gastric mucosal against injury in mice by 79%, 78%, 73%, and 64% respectively. In the ethanol-induced gastric ulcer model in rats, the lansoprazole (30 mg/kg), FRF and FDF (100 mg/kg) significantly protected the gastric mucosal of rats by 65%, 38% and 25% respectively when compared with the negative control group. In indomethacin/ bethanechol-induced ga...