The
study was aimed to investigate the combined effect of acid
blanching (AB) and high-voltage electric field cold plasma (HVCP)
on carrot juice quality. Before juice extraction, carrots were separated
into three parts: control, blanched (100 °C for 5 min) with non-acidified
water, and blanched with acidified water (35 g/L citric acid at pH
1.34). Carrot juice was then subjected to dielectric barrier discharge
at 80 kV for 4 min. Results indicated that AB treatment significantly
influenced the efficiency of HVCP. AB–HVCP resulted in antimicrobial
synergism, which is an outcome of acidified NO2
–, H2O2, O–, and peroxynitrites
(ONOO–) or its precursor OH/NO2, along
with other species. In addition, plasma treatment also promotes the
accumulation of coloring compounds, chlorogenic acid, and sugar contents
by surface erosion of the epidermal layer, cis isomerization,
rupturing of phenol–sugar and phenolic–cell matrix bonds,
and depolymerized long-chain polysaccharides by cleavage of the glycoside
bond. Therefore, AB–HVCP is a potential emerging hurdle strategy
for fresh produce.