Effects of Atmospheric-Pressure Cold Plasma Treatment on Deoxynivalenol Degradation, Quality Parameters, and Germination of Barley Grains

Featured Application Deoxynivalenol (DON), a mycotoxin, that is found predominantly in grains. Each year approximately 25% of agricultural commodities are contaminated by mycotoxins; causing financial losses to the agricultural industry and imposing harmful effects to human and livestock health. Currently, there is no effective solution for an adequate reduction of DON on grains such as barley. This study presented the efficacy of atmospheric cold plasma treatment to reduce DON levels on barley grains and provided an insight into the quality changes of barley grains after atmospheric cold plasma treatment. Abstract Deoxynivalenol (DON) is one of the major trichothecene mycotoxins commonly found in grains, in particular barley. This study focused on the reduction of DON concentration on barley samples using atmospheric cold plasma (ACP) treatment. The effects of moisture content, post-treatment storage, and relative humidity of air on DON degradation on barley were evaluated. Additionally, the germination and the quality parameters of barley, including protein content, beta -glucan, and moisture content, were evaluated. The results showed that ACP treatment for 6 and 10 min reduced DON concentration by 48.9% and 54.4%, respectively. No significant differences were observed in the DON degradation levels by increasing the moisture content of barley from 9.5 to 15.7 g water/100 g sample and relative humidity of air from 12 to 60%. Steeping of barley grains without subsequent drying prior to ACP treatment significantly increased the degradation rate of DON by ACP due to the presence of water on the grain surface. No significant differences were observed for the tested quality parameters of barley in comparison with control samples. This study shows that ACP may offer an effective DON reduction in barley without affecting the quality attributes. However, ACP treatment parameters should be optimized to achieve a better DON reduction efficacy.