A comprehensive review of effects of electrolyzed water and plasma-activated water on growth, chemical compositions, microbiological safety and postharvest quality of sprouts

As a star vegetable, sprouts have many advantages, such as high nutritional value, crisp and juicy taste, short growth cycle and simple cultivation conditions, which have been widely welcomed around the world. As consumers’ demand for healthier foods grows, new technologies need to be developed urgently to improve the quality of sprouts. Among them, electrolyzed water (EW) and plasma-activated water (PAW), which have merits of green, sustainable and low-cost, have wide potential for application in hydroponic sprout cultivation. This work reviews the effects of EW and PAW on growth, chemical compositions, microbiological safety and postharvest quality of sprouts and compares the effects of EW and PAW comprehensively. In addition, some regulations and challenges in practical application were also discussed. EW and PAW show outstanding effects during sprout production, including: 1) promoting seed germination and sprout growth during cultivation; 2) accelerating hydrolysis of macromolecules compounds and accumulation of bioactive compounds in sprouts during cultivation; 3) inhibiting growth of microorganisms on sprouts during cultivation; 4) improving postharvest quality of sprouts during postharvest washing. In addition, EW and PAW each seem to have more obvious advantages in improving certain qualities of sprouts, thus producers need to use them wisely to maximize their strengths. On these grounds, EW and PAW are promising technologies to develop considerable application value in sprout industry. • Electrolyzed water (EW) and plasma-activated water (PAW) show promising performance in sprouts hydroponic production. • EW and PAW improve growth, nutritional and functional value, microbiological safety and postharvest quality of sprouts. • Effects of EW and PAW in sprouts production are compared and their respective advantages are discussed. • Mechanisms of action of EW and PAW, and combined application of multiple technologies are key research trends.