Recent advances in cold plasma technology for modifications of proteins: A comprehensive review

The increasing quest for the minimally processed foods and demand for nearly fresh foods from the consumer segment has paved the way for the emergence of Non thermal processing technologies. A significant development in the food and bioprocessing sector is the evolution of cold plasma processing which is renowned for its preservation efficacy and shelf life enhancement of foods. The growing application of cold plasma has expanded its role in the modification of food biomolecules in order to meet the diversified requirements of food industries for varied applications. The previous investigations have shown its proven benefits in the microbial destruction, enzyme inactivation, modification in the polymer matrices for food packaging etc. Cold Plasma processing is a promising candidate with the benefit of minimizing the negative effects of thermal processing to the food matrix particularly to the protein molecules which are prone for denaturation at relatively higher temperatures. Proteins which are the polymers of amino acids are highly valued with commercial importance because of the techno-functional properties they possess along with its nutritional potential. The cold plasma induced modification of proteins are known to enhance the functionality of native proteins by altering the structure-functional relationship. The interaction of cold plasma and its reactive species on the amino acid structure will lead to a functional change in the protein molecule and can propel its application in diverse fields like 3-D printing, novel gel structures formation, thermostable foams and emulsions, improved solubility and enhanced organoleptic property. Considering the growing importance of the process technology, review aims to shed light on the impact of cold plasma processing on the protein modification and its associated molecular understanding with its future path of research. Future scope of considerations along with the challenges are also discussed which need to be taken on priority to get the potential benefit and commercial realization of the technology.