Comparison of the Effect of Plasma-Activated Water and Artificially Prepared Plasma-Activated Water on Wheat Grain Properties

Abstract

Recently, much attention has been paid to the use of low-temperature plasmas and plasma-activated water (PAW) in various areas of biological research. In addition to its use in medicine, especially for low-temperature disinfection and sterilization, a number of works using plasma in various fields of agriculture have already appeared. While direct plasma action involves the effects of many highly reactive species with short lifetimes, the use of PAW involves the action of only long-lived particles. A number of articles have shown that the main stable components of PAW are H2O2, O3, HNO2, and HNO3. If so, then it would be faster and much more practical to artificially prepare PAW by directly mixing these chemicals in a given ratio. In this article, we review the literature describing the composition and properties of PAW prepared by various methods. We also draw attention to an otherwise rather neglected fact, that there are no significant differences between the action of PAW and artificially prepared PAW. The effect of PAW on the properties of wheat grains (Triticum aestivum L.) was determined. PAW exposure increased germination, shoot length, and fresh and dry shoot weight. The root length and R/S length, i.e., the ratio between the underground (R) and aboveground (S) length of the wheat seedlings, slightly decreased, while the other parameters changed only irregularly or not at all. Grains artificially inoculated with Escherichia coli were significantly decontaminated after only one hour of exposure to PAW, while Saccharomyces cerevisiae decontamination required soaking for 24 h. The differences between the PAW prepared by plasma treatment and the PAW prepared by artificially mixing the active ingredients, i.e., nitric acid and hydrogen peroxide, proved to be inconsistent and statistically insignificant. Therefore, it may be sufficient for further research to focus only on the effects of artificial PAW.

Effect of Plasma-Activated Water Bubbles on Fusarium graminearum, Deoxynivalenol, and Germination of Naturally Infected Barley during Steeping

“…In contrast, at moderate amounts, ROS, like H 2 O 2 , may be beneficial for plant germination [ 34 ]. In a study by Jirešová, Scholtz, Julák and Šerá [ 10 ], the effect of PAW on wheat germination was compared with artificial PAW prepared from H 2 O 2 and nitric acid. There were no significant ( p >0.05) differences between the efficacy of both the PAW treatments on percentage germination, root and shoot length, or fresh/dry weights of the roots and shoots.…”

“…In a recent study by Guo, Wang, Xie, Jiang, Li, Li, Li, Liu and Lin [ 1 ], microbial activity of F. graminearum spores, including mycelial growth, conidial germination, and disease development, were significantly inhibited by PAW treatment of spiked wheat samples. In addition, PAW improved the germination of the seeds [ 9 , 10 ], which was attributed to its physicochemical properties. There are no reports, however, regarding the effect of PAW treatment on F. graminearum of naturally infected barley (NIB) and DON.…”

Does non-thermal plasma modify biopolymers in solution? A chemical and mechanistic study for alginate

“…2–4 While the advantages of direct NTP treatment on biological targets are extensively reported 5–7 and can be explained considering all the potential actors that are generated during treatment (free electrons, ions, radicals, excited molecules and electromagnetic radiation), a significant debate is rising in the plasma medicine community on the advantages of plasma-treated liquids (PTLs). 8,9…”

“…Plasma-treated water is quite simple in its chemical composition and several attempts were made in order to reproduce it “artificially”, obtaining comparable biological effects. 9,11,12…”

Effects of High Voltage Electrical Discharge (HVED) on Endogenous Hormone and Polyphenol Profile in Wheat

“…An altered water structure is a result of ionization and dissociation reactions upon which reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS) may be created forming plasma-activated water (PAW) [ 10 ]. The chemical content of PAW is not always equal and the concentration of long-lifetime particles such as H 2 O 2 , NO 2 − and NO 3 − may depend on the experimental conditions of PAW preparation [ 11 ]. In addition, as observed via SEM micrographs, the HVED treatment induced ruptures on the seed coat [ 12 ].…”