Low-temperature plasma sterilization for preserving mango powder during storage: physicochemical, microbial, and flavor characteristic analyses

In this study, we evaluated the effects of microwave (MW), irradiation (IR), and low-temperature plasma (LTP) treatments on the storage quality of mango powder. The results showed that while IR exhibited the strongest antimicrobial effect, LTP demonstrated comparable or superior efficacy to MW in preserving sensory quality, solubility, and bioactive compounds, and it excelled in maintaining flavor complexity. A backpropagation (BP) neural network was constructed and could accurately predict sensory changes during storage. Flavor analysis identified 172 key aromatic compounds, with terpenes being dominant. Overall, LTP emerged as a highly promising non-thermal technology, offering a balanced and effective approach for quality retention, without the concerns associated with MW scaling-up for industrial application or residual risks of IR, providing a compelling alternative for the fruit powder processing industry.