Dielectric Barrier Discharge Cold Plasma Research Articles

Antibiofilm mechanism of dielectric barrier discharge cold plasma against Pichia manshurica

Biofilm spoilage has become one of the most common concerns in fermented foods. The objective of the present study was to explore the biofilm-inhibitory effect and antibiofilm mechanism of dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) cold plasma on Pichia manshurica (a species of yeast responsible for biofilm spoilage in fermented foods). After plasma treatment (80 kV, 50 Hz) for 4.5 min and 7.5 min, viable counts decreased by 2.38 and 5.11 lg CFU/mL, respectively, and the biofilm-forming rate decreased to 73% and 48% of the control group, respectively, in microbiological media. In addition, DBD caused severe morphological damage, cell membrane permeabilization and metabolic changes. A number of amino acid metabolic pathways, the tricarboxylic acid cycle (TCA), and the synthesis of extracellular polymeric substance (EPS) were destroyed. The cell damage and changes in multiple metabolic activities led to significant inhibitory effects on Pichia manshurica and its biofilm-forming ability. Industrial relevanceThis study found that DBD can significantly inhibit the biofilm-forming ability of Pichia manshurica (a species of yeast responsible for biofilm spoilage in fermented foods) by causing severe cell damage and metabolic changes. The exploration of the biofilm inhibitory effect of DBD on Pichia manshurica and its mechanism can provide a theoretical basis for the application of DBD technology in the inhibition of biofilm spoilage in foods.

Degradation of Zearalenone by Dielectric Barrier Discharge Cold Plasma and Its Effect on Maize Quality.

In this study, a dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) cold plasma was used to degrade zearalenone, and the degradation efficiency and the quality of maize were evaluated. The results showed that the zearalenone degradation rates increased with the increase in voltage and time. When it was treated at 50 KV for 120 s, the degradation percentage of the zearalenone in maize could reach 56.57%. The kinetics' analysis showed that the degradation followed a first-order reaction. The crude fiber of the maize reduced after the cold plasma treatment. In addition, cold plasma treatment did not significantly change the crude protein content, but slightly changed the fatty acid and color. The changes in maize quality are generally acceptable. DBD cold plasma may be a promising approach to reducing zearalenone in maize.

Impact of dielectric barrier discharge cold plasma on the lipid oxidation, color stability, and protein structures of myoglobin-added washed pork muscle.

Cold plasma has been considered a novel non-thermal processing technique and attracted a high attention by the food industry. In this study, the influences of dielectric barrier discharge cold plasma (DBD-CP) on the myoglobin (Mb)-added washed pork muscle (WPM) were evaluated. The electrophoresis pattern, autoxidation, and secondary structure of Mb were analyzed. The results found that DBD-CP caused the decrease of the redness and total sulfhydryl (T-SH) in WPM, while the increase of non-heme, peroxide value (PV), and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), suggested that treatment triggered protein oxidation and heme degradation. Additionally, DBD-CP treatment enhanced the autoxidation of Mb, induced the release of intact heme from the globin, rearranged the charged groups, and promoted Mb aggregation. The transformation of α-helix into the random coil of Mb demonstrated that DBD-CP weakened the tensile strength. Overall, data indicated that DBD-CP promoted autoxidation and changed the secondary structure of Mb, accelerating Mb-mediated lipid oxidation in WPM. Thus, further studies about the optimization of processing conditions by DBD-CP need to be performed.

Degradation of deoxynivalenol in wheat by double dielectric barrier discharge cold plasma: identification and pathway of degradation products.

Deoxynivalenol (DON) produced during the onset of fusarium head blight not only affects the quality and safety of wheat but also causes serious harm to human and livestock health. However, due to the high stability of DON, it is difficult to eliminate it or reduce it naturally after it has been produced. Cold plasma technology is a non-thermophysical processing technology that has been widely used for microbial inactivation and mycotoxin degradation. In this study, the degradation efficiency of double dielectric barrier discharge (DDBD) cold plasma on DON in aqueous solution and wheat was studied; the structures of degradation products of DON and its pathway were clarified, and the effect of DDBD plasma on wheat quality was evaluated. Double dielectric barrier discharge cold plasma was used for efficient degradation of DON (0.5 ~ 5μgmL^-1) solution and achieved a degradation rate of 98.94% within 25 min under the optimal conditions (voltage 100 V, frequency 200 Hz, duty cycle 80%). Furthermore, 10 degradation products (C15 H24 O5 , C15 H22 O6 , C15 H22 O9 , C16 H22 O7 , C15 H20 O7 , C15 H20 O9 , C15 H18 O8 , C15 H22 O5 , C16 H24 O5 , and C15 H18 O9 ) were identified by ultra-performance liquid chromatography-time of flight-mass spectrometry (UPLC-TOF-MS/MS) combined with Metabolitepilot and Peakview software. The degradation pathway of DON was obtained based on the chemical structures and accurate mass of these products. The DON degradation rate of 61% in wheat was achieved after treatment for 15 min, which slightly affects the moisture content, proteins, and wheat starch. Applying DDBD to wheat could effectively reduce the level of DON contamination, which provides a theoretical basis for applying cold plasma to the degradation of DON in wheat. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.

Peroxidase inactivation by cold plasma and its effects on the storage, physicochemical and bioactive properties of brown rice

Dielectric barrier discharge cold plasma (DBD-CP) was applied to brown rice either in the form of whole brown rice or in brown rice powder in order to inactivate peroxidase. Afterwards, the DBD-CP stabilized whole brown rice (CPR) and brown rice powder (CPP) were compared through their storage, physicochemical and bioactive properties. Results demonstrated that peroxidase was completely inactivated in CPP rather than in CPR, and the fat acidity in CPP was significantly lower than that in CPR and raw brown rice during accelerated storage. Besides, the etching effect of DBD-CP induced many scorched spots and micropores respectively in the surface of CPR and CPP, which significantly increased their water absorption index and pasting viscosities. Specially, the starch and protein molecules were depolymerized in CPR, while they were cross-linked in CPP. Consequently, the effects of DBD-CP on gelatinization enthalpy, setback value and water solubility index differed in CPR and CPP. Furthermore, CPR was better for the retainment of phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity than CPP. Therefore, DBD-CP was useful to improve the shelf life of brown rice, and its effects on the storage, physicochemical and bioactive properties were highly depended on the form of brown rice to be processed.

Effects of argon dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) cold plasma treatment on mechanical, barrier and antimicrobial properties of chitosan film

SummaryThis research studied the effects of argon dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma on properties of chitosan film to be used as active food packaging. The effects of plasma treatment time (0, 30, 60, 90 and 120 s) on tensile strength (TS), elongation at break (EAB), colour, water vapour permeability (WVP), oxygen transmission rate (OTR), contact angle and antimicrobial activity of films were investigated. Depending on the plasma treatment time, the TS values of plasma‐treated film increased, but there were no significant differences between the EAB of control and treated films. The formation of the oxygen‐containing groups and the occurrence of etching affected the WVP, contact angle, roughness and antimicrobial activity of plasma‐treated film. Chitosan film treated with 60 s of DBD plasma had good OTR (<0.05 cc m−2 day−1), hydrophilicity and antimicrobial activity against various kinds of bacteria. However, it may need longer than 60 s of the treatment time to increase the WVP of the films. Overall, these results implied that plasma treatment can be used as an alternative non‐thermal approach for improving the characteristics of film packaging.

Effects of dielectric barrier discharge cold plasma on structure, surface hydrophobicity and allergenic properties of shrimp tropomyosin

Effects of dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) cold plasma (CP) on structure, surface hydrophobicity and allergenic properties of tropomyosin (TM) in shrimp were investigated in this study. Results showed that the molecular weight of TM increased and the protein concentration decreased with CP treatment time increased. The content of free amino acids was increased by 74.7 % and the distribution of aromatic amino acids was altered. The content of α-helix was decreased by 69 % and the surface hydrophobicity increased by 57.8 % after 20 min treatment. Allergenicity analysis showed that the IgE binding capacity decreased by 96 % after 20 min treatment, and the degranulation indexes of KU812 cells like the β-HEX release rate, the intracellular calcium ion intensity, the release of histamine and inflammatory cytokines (IL-4, TNF-α) were decreased by 32.5 %, 31.0 %, 37.3 %, 51.7 %, and 70.2 %, respectively. The current study confirmed that DBD CP could reduce the TM allergenicity through structural changes.

Investigation of Partial Oxidation of Methane in a Cold Plasma Reactor with Detailed Product Analysis

Cold plasma is a partially ionized state of matter that unites high reactivity and mild conditions. Therefore, cold plasma reactors are intriguing for reaction engineering. In this work, a laboratory scale dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) cold plasma reactor was designed, set up, and used for studying the influence of the specific energy input (SEI) on the product spectrum of the partial oxidation of methane. In total, 23 experiments were carried out near ambient conditions with a molar reactant ratio of methane to oxygen of 2:1 at SEI between 0.3 and 6.0 J cm−3. The feed also contained argon at a mole fraction of 0.75 mol mol−1. The product stream was split into a fraction that was condensed in a cold trap and the remaining gaseous fraction. The latter was analyzed at-line in a gas chromatograph equipped with a dual column and two carrier gases. The condensed fraction was analyzed by qualitative and quantitative 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy, Karl Fischer titration, and sodium sulfite titration. In the product stream, 16 components were identified and quantified: acetic acid, acetone, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, ethanol, ethane, ethene, ethylene glycol, formaldehyde, formic acid, hydrogen, methanol, methyl acetate, methyl hydroperoxide, methyl formate, and water. A univariant influence of the SEI on the conversions of methane and oxygen and the selectivities to the products was observed. The experimental results provided here are an asset for developing reaction kinetic models of the partial oxidation of methane in DBD plasma reactors.

Impact of dielectric barrier discharge cold plasma on the quality and phenolic metabolism in blueberries based on metabonomic analysis

In this study, we found that dielectric barrier discharge cold plasma (CP) treatment was effective in preserving fruit quality and inhibiting the growth of microorganisms in blueberries, especially in maintaining the firmness, sugars, and ascorbic acids. In addition, the levels of total phenols, flavonoids, and anthocyanins were also elevated by CP treatment in blueberries, indicating that CP affected the phenolic metabolism. Furthermore, metabonomic study identified 59 substances, which can be divided into 9 categories. Blueberries treated with CP exhibited higher fold change values of chalcones, dihydroflavonols, dihydroflavones, flavanols, flavones, procyanidins, and anthocyanins but exhibited lower fold change values of L-phenylalanine than those in control. The activities of five key enzymes of phenylpropanoid metabolism, especially those of phenylalanine ammonia lyase, chalcone synthase, and UDP-glucose:flavonoid 3-O-glucosyltransferase, in blueberries treated with CP were higher than those in controls. These results together indicated that CP treatment affected the conversion of L-phenylalanine to phenols, flavonoids, and anthocyanins through the regulation of five key enzymes involved in the phenolic metabolism.

Inhibitory effects of dielectric barrier discharge cold plasma on pathogenic enzymes and anthracnose for mango postharvest preservation

Cold plasma is a novel non-chemical approach, but few studies have investigated its role in controlling postharvest diseases caused by fungus. Herein, the effects of dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) cold plasma on pathogenic enzymes and anthracnose caused by Colletotrichum asianum in mangoes were explored. Results showed that the activities of cell wall degrading enzymes and laccases were all reduced, and pathogenic genes were down-regulated. Plasma-activated water (PAW) was prepared for mango treatment, and the optimal processing conditions were DBD cold plasma treated distilled water for 3 min, stored at 4 °C for 20 h, and soaked mangoes for 10 min. Combining PAW with modified atmosphere packaging effectively alleviated the disease, improved fruit quality, and prolonged the shelf life by 8 d. Taken together, DBD cold plasma could control mango anthracnose, providing an alternative technology for suppressing postharvest fungal diseases and preserving fruit quality.

Effect of dielectric barrier discharge cold plasma on the bruise susceptibility of plum fruit

AbstractTissue firmness is one of the most important factors in consuming fresh fruits. The firmness of the plum is the main parameter to purchase. This study aimed to investigate the effect of the dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) cold plasma method on the mechanical properties of plums during storage time. For this purpose, a tesla system and cold plasma generation by DBD were used. Plums were treated by plasma three times for 5, 10 and 15 min and then evaluated in five periods 1st, 5th, 10th, 15th and 20th days. Also, the simulation method was used to measure the plums' bruise volume (BV) and bruise susceptibility (BS). The simulated and experimental BV and BS values were compared, and the maximum relative difference were 13.12% and 10.18%, respectively. In addition, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was utilized to investigate the microstructure of the tissue before and after the drop test. The results revealed that the DBD treatment of 5 and 15 min had a negative effect on the mechanical properties of the plums. While the DBD treatment of 10 had an acceptable impact on the trend of Young's modulus, bio yield stress, and tangent modulus during the storage time. This treatment enhances the resistance of the plums to deformation and reduces the BV and BS tendency caused by impact.Practical ApplicationsMechanical damage of fresh fruits in the postharvest process by processing plants reduces the quality of the product in terms of firmness. Therefore, customers are reluctant to buy products with unacceptable rigidity. Plum is one of the expensive fruits that is always influenced by mechanical damage in the procedure of processing such as sorting. Therefore, it seems necessary to provide a solution that maintains firmness and does not affect the chemical quality of the product. DBD cold plasma is an economical, fast and reliable method to maintain the firmness of fresh fruits. Although DBD cold plasma can preserve the mechanical properties of the fruits by disinfection, treatment time can have both positive and negative effects. In other words, the over‐treatment time sometimes causes fruit tissue to loosen or low‐treatment time has been no significant difference. Therefore, it seems research on the effect of treatment time is essential. The results of this study can be useful for horticultural processing plants to increase fruit quality in terms of firmness.

Degradation of carbendazim in aqueous solution by dielectric barrier discharge cold plasma: Identification and toxicity of degradation products

Dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) cold plasma, as a new nonthermal technology, has attracted increasing attention in pesticide degradation. In this study, DBD plasma was used to degrade carbendazim (MBC) in aqueous solution. Under the optimal conditions (160 kv, 50 Hz), MBC solution (0.5 μg/mL) was degraded by 89.04% after plasma treatment for 10 min. Four MBC degradation products were identified, one of which was a common oxidative degradation product (5-hydroxycarbendazim, m/z 208.07); the others were identified (m/z 118.06, m/z 132.08 and m/z 104.05) to have formed by the cleavage of the benzimidazole heterocyclic ring. The degradation pathways were obtained by analysis of degradation products at different treatment times. The toxicity of the degradation products was estimated based on the survival rate of yeast, indicating much lower toxicity levels compared to that of MBC. This study provides a theoretical basis for the application of DBD plasma in the degradation of benzimidazole pesticides in foods.

Formation of sweet potato starch nanoparticles by ultrasonic-assisted nanoprecipitation: Effect of cold plasma treatment.

Starch nanoparticles (SNPs) were produced from sweet potato starches by ultrasonic treatment combined with rapid nanoprecipitation. The starch concentration, ultrasonic time, and the ratio of starch solution to ethanol were optimized through dynamic light scattering (DLS) technique to obtain SNPs with a Z-average size of 64.51 ± 0.15 nm, poly dispersity index (PDI) of 0.23 ± 0.01. However, after freeze drying, the SNPs showed varying degrees of aggregation depending on the particle size of SNPs before freeze-drying. The smaller the particle size, the more serious the aggregation. Therefore, we tried to treat SNPs with dielectric barrier discharge cold plasma before freeze drying. Properties including morphological features, crystalline structure and apparent viscosity of various starches were measured by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and rheometer, respectively. The results showed that, after cold plasma (CP) treatment, the aggregation of SNPs during freeze drying was significantly inhibited. Compared to the native sweet potato starch, SNPs showed a higher relative crystallinity and a lower apparent viscosity. After CP treatment, the relative crystallinity of CP SNPs was further higher, and the apparent viscosity was lower. This work provides new ideas for the preparation of SNPs and could promote the development of sweet potato SNPs in the field of active ingredient delivery.

Modification of soy protein isolate using dielectric barrier discharge cold plasma assisted by modified atmosphere packaging

In this study, soy protein isolate (SPI) was treated by modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) assisted dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) cold plasma (CP) to improve its functional properties. For this reason, SPI powders were treated with DBD-CP at the oxygen ratio of 20 %, 30 %, 40 %, 50 % and 60 %, respectively. The results showed that with the increase of oxygen content, the structure of SPI was destroyed, protein macromolecule depolymerized. However, sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) confirmed that the primary structure of SPI was not disrupted. In addition, when the oxygen content was greater than 40 %, the solubility, water holding capacity, gelling, emulsifying and foaming properties of SPI were significantly improved (p < 0.05). The results showed that high-oxygen packaging can increase the active particles generated during processing, thereby optimizing the structural and functional properties of SPI. Therefore, MAP can serve as a more efficient method for DBD-CP to modify soybean protein.

Insight into the improving effect on multi-scale structure, physicochemical and rheology properties of granular cold water soluble rice starch by dielectric barrier discharge cold plasma processing

In the present study, the alcohol/alkali treatment of starch produced granular cold-water-soluble starch (CWS) and explored the improvement of dielectric barrier discharge cold plasma (CP) on its multi-scale structure, physicochemical and rheological properties. The granular integrity of the prepared CWS was destroyed, and the crystal structure changed from type A to amorphous. CP processing reduced the molecular weight of CWS and the ratio of long amylopectin to produce small molecular parts with appropriate chain length. CP processing also resulted in a decrease in amylose content, relative crystallinity, and short-range order. These structural changes promote the improvement of CWS properties. For example, CP-treated CWS starch exhibited better solubility, swelling power, flowing capacity, and enzymatic hydrolysis properties. Therefore, this research showed that cold plasma technology is suited to improve the structure and enhance properties of CWS to tailor starch to the desired food applications. • The granular cold-water-soluble starch (CWS) was modified cold plasma (CP). • CP degraded the CWS molecules and reduced the molecular weight. • CP reduced the crystallinity of CWS and led to a more disordered structure. • CP-treated improves the cold-water solubility of CWS. • CP-treated CWS showed better fluidity and enzymatic hydrolysis properties.

In-package cold plasma treatment enhances the antimicrobial efficacy of malic acid-incorporated whey protein edible coating against Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes in steamed fish paste

An in-package atmospheric dielectric barrier discharge cold plasma (CP) treatment integrated with malic acid (MA)-incorporated whey protein isolate coating treatment (MA-WPI + CP treatment) was developed to inactivate Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes in steamed fish paste packaged in a plastic container. MA-WPI + CP treatment inactivated Salmonella and L. monocytogenes more effectively than either one of the treatments. MA-WPI + CP treatment more effectively inhibited the growth of Salmonella and L. monocytogenes in fish paste than MA-WPI coating during storage at 4 °C. The diffusion coefficients of MA in WPI films increased by CP treatment from 2.11 × 10−14 and 3.27 × 10−14 to 2.79 × 10−14 and 4.83 × 10−14 m2/s at 4 and 10 °C, respectively. The accelerated diffusion of MA by CP could increase the microbial inhibition in steamed fish paste coated with MA-WPI during storage. MA-WPI + CP treatment showed potential to increase microbial safety of steamed fish paste.

Decontamination of chicken meat using dielectric barrier discharge cold plasma technology: The effect on microbial quality, physicochemical properties, topographical structure, and sensory attributes

This study explored the decontamination efficiency of dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) cold plasma using different gases and exposure times at low voltage (20 kV) in chicken breast fillets. Samples were treated by exposure to either oxygen or argon (for 3 and 5 min each), besides the control group, followed by examination for their microbial quality, physicochemical properties, topographical structure, and sensory attributes. Furthermore, the electrical characteristic of the plasma generation system was measured. All plasma-treated samples revealed a significant reduction in bacterial counts, shear force, and pH values, with no significant changes in thiobarbituric acid, total volatile base nitrogen, and cooking loss%. Sensory attributes significantly improved in all plasma-treated samples, except the appearance and color of oxygen-treated samples. This is the first study that demonstrated the impact of DBD plasma on the topographical structure of chicken meat which revealed the greatest destructive effect in muscle fibers and connective tissue in argon-treated samples, with subsequent improving the tenderness versus minimal destructive changes in oxygen-treated samples. Accordingly, DBD plasma treatment, especially with argon gas at 20 kV, for 3 min, is a prospective decontamination method that could be applied safely at poultry processing plants, without any adverse effects on chicken meat quality.

Changes of bacterial microbiota and volatile flavor compounds in ewe milk during dielectric barrier discharge cold plasma processing

Dielectric barrier discharge cold plasma (DBD-CP) processing can be considered as a potential alternative to conventional pasteurization in ewe milk, which has previously been shown. However, residual microorganisms in ewe milk during DBD-CP processing have not yet been evaluated. This study investigated the microbiota present in ewe milk that was cold plasma-treated. Pasteurized ewe milk was used as a positive control. The bacterial community analysis demonstrated that 8 phyla and 16 genera were identified as dominant microbiota, and Proteobacteria and Pseudomonas were the predominant phyla and genera in cold plasma-treated milk samples. In addition, 23, 22, and 16 volatile flavor compounds (VFCs) were detected in raw milk, pasteurized milk, and cold plasma-treated milk samples, respectively. Fourteen different VFCs were produced according to the variable importance in the projection (VIP ≥ 1.0). The application of DBD-CP might lead to the absence of mutton odor produced by some carboxylic acids, further improving the characteristic flavor of ewe milk by facilitating lipid oxidation. Six bacterial genera, including Porphyromonas, Streptococcus, Fusobacterium, Prevotella, Treponema_2 and Leptotrichia, were highly negatively correlated (|ρ| > 0.5 and P < 0.05) with the flavor substances, according to Spearman correlation coefficient analysis. Overall, the systematic method employed in this study could identify core microbiota present and important VFCs in cold plasma-treated milk ewe milk. The study also provided a better understanding of the potential relationship between bacterial profiles and flavor compounds, which might be useful for further enhancing the quality of ewe milk products.

Changes in qualitative characteristics of garden thyme (Thymus vulgaris L.) as affected by cold plasma

Cold plasma (CP) is one of the emerging technologies capable of creating special capabilities in agricultural products by affecting their surfaces. This technique can increase the content of essential oil extracted from active ingredients, while reducing the microbial load of medicinal and aromatic crops. In order to investigate the effect of dielectric barrier discharge cold plasma (DBD-CP) on the qualitative characteristics of thyme (Thymus vulgaris L.), dried leaves were used for treatments. The experiment was performed with two variables of time (30, 60, 120 & 300 s) and voltage (17, 19, 21 & 23 kV). The results showed that the hydrophilicity of the samples was improved by CP treatment, while few changes were observed in leaf color characteristics. Scanning electron microscopy showed that increasing the treatment duration and the voltage could cause rupture and wrinkles in the glandular trichomes. Although the DBD-CP treatments increased the essential oil extraction efficiency of the leaves (by approximately 20 %), they did not significantly affect the essential oil components nor the amount of two important compounds, thymol and linalool, which increased slightly (3.7 % and 3.5 %, respectively). It can be concluded that DBD-CP can be used as a pretreatment and auxiliary tool in improving the extraction efficiency of thyme and does not have a negative effect on its essential oil components.

Dielectric barrier discharge cold plasma combined with cross-linking: An innovative way to modify the multi-scale structure and physicochemical properties of corn starch

Cold plasma is a low-cost, simple and green method for starch modification. In the present study, the impact of corn starch modification by cold plasma (CP, 1, 3 and 9 min), sodium trimetaphosphate/sodium tripolyphosphate (CL, 1 %, 5 % and 10 %) and their combination were investigated. CP-pretreatment had enhancement of phosphorus content and substitution degree. Neither CP nor CL destroyed the starch granules morphology. Instead, CP induced more short-chain to better rearrange the starch during the crosslinking process, which improved the efficiency of the crosslinker in the subsequent crosslinking process. Therefore, compared with CL or CP, the thermal transition temperatures increased after CP pretreatment, while the amylose content, relative crystallinity, swelling power, and △H decreased. Meanwhile, CP-pretreatment changed the internal structure of the CL-starch so that it showed the lowest enzymatic digestibility. CP pretreatment provides a promising way to improve cross-linked starch's structure, properties, and efficiency.