Effect of plasma activated water on the postharvest quality of button mushrooms, Agaricus bisporus

• Plasma activated water was a novel method for the preservation of button mushrooms.
• Plasma activated water could reduce the microbial counts throughout storage.
• Plasma activated water soaking could delay mushrooms softening.
• Little changed in the quality of mushrooms treated by plasma activated water.
• Reactive species play a pivotal role in the sterilization of plasma activated water.

Non-thermal plasma is a new approach to improving microbiological safety while maintaining the sensory attributes of the treated foods. Recent research has reported that plasma activated water (PAW) can also efficiently inactivate a wide variety of microorganisms. This study invested the effects of plasma-activated water soaking on the postharvest preservation of button mushrooms (Agaricus bisporus) over seven days of storage at 20 °C. Plasma activated water reduced the microbial counts by 1.5 log and 0.5 log for bacteria and fungi during storage, respectively. Furthermore, the corresponding physicochemical and biological properties were assessed between plasma activated water soaking groups and control groups. The results for firmness, respiration rate and relative electrical conductivity suggested that plasma activated water soaking can delay mushroom softening. Meanwhile, no significant change was observed in the color, pH, or antioxidant properties of A. bisporus treated with plasma activated water. Thus, plasma activated water soaking is a promising method for postharvest fresh-keeping of A. bisporus.