Abstract
Cold plasma is recognized and explored for a plethora of applications in the food and agricultural industry. This study investigated the influence of a continuous atmospheric pressure non-thermal jet plasma system on the mortality of Rhyzopertha dominica adults in whole wheat kernels and the changes in the milling and physicochemical attributes of the treated whole wheat. Air-filled packets of whole wheat kernels were artificially infested with R. dominica adults. The packages were carried by a continuous conveyor belt and treated with plasma at voltages ranging from 44-47 kV for 4-7 min. The mortality was determined after 24 h and milling yield, particle size, proximate composition, and color of plasma-treated and untreated wheat grains were also evaluated. The maximum mortality was 88.33% at 47 kV for 7 min. The milling yield, protein, and fiber content of wheat were enhanced with plasma treatment significantly. Thus the continuous atmospheric pressure jet plasma used in this study could be one of the practically implementable emerging techniques for the commercial disinfestation of packaged food products.
Highlights
Wheat is one of the major cereal crops after rice and maize, with over 767 million tons being harvested annually and serves as an essential part of the diet for most of the people in the world
A study conducted on the quality of the flour from R. dominica infested wheat concluded that infestation causes adverse changes in the flour properties such as water absorption, dough development time, mixing, and dough stability [4]
2.2 Raw material preparation: Forty grams of the sound wheat grains were prepensely infested with 20 healthy newly emerged R. dominica adults [18] and air packed in a high oxygen barrier, oriented polypropylene films
Summary
Wheat is one of the major cereal crops after rice and maize, with over 767 million tons being harvested annually and serves as an essential part of the diet for most of the people in the world. One of the major problems causing considerable losses during the production and storage of these grains is the infestation by insect pests. The lesser grain borer Rhyzopertha dominica is a primary pest causing significant economic damage to the wheat grains. R. dominica is one of the most destructive pests and feeds on the endosperm of the seeds. The larvae and adults of R. dominica can penetrate inside the kernel, causing internal injury to wheat, thereby resulting in substantial weight loss and quality degradation [3]. The efficient control of R. dominica affecting the grain has become a serious concern throughout the world
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