Dielectric barrier discharge plasma pretreatment: A cleaner new way to improve energy efficiency and quality of wolfberry drying

Pulsed electric fields (PEF) and cold plasma (CP) show the potential to improve drying efficiency, but the understanding of their comparison and combined effects in PEF-driven dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) is lacking. This study aims to develop a non-chemical pre-treatment to improve drying efficiency and quality by exploring the effects of using PEF, atmospheric pressure plasma jet, and PEF-driven DBD for pre-treating wolfberry. Exploring the synergistic effects and mechanisms of PEF and CP in pre-treatment innovatively provided a new dimension for efficient drying. Results showed that DBD pre-treatment reduced the drying time by 50.6% and energy consumption by 46.0% compared to untreated wolfberry. DBD-pre-treated wolfberries showed better sensory quality and retained critical nutrients by reducing enzyme activities and drying time. DBD combined cold plasma etching and PEF cell disintegration to increase the surface area and pore volume of wolfberry. Furthermore, DBD affected the molecular and tissue structure, altering the binding state of water molecules.