Suppression of fungal spore germination and biofilm recovery by non-thermal plasma: implications for fruit infectivity

Non-thermal plasma (NTP) is a promising antimicrobial technology with potential applications in food preservation. This study investigated the effect of two NTP sources on fungal spores and biofilms in vitro , as well as their ability to suppress residual fungal infectivity in tomato and nectarine models inoculated with plasma-treated spores. In vitro experiments demonstrated significant inhibition of spore germination and biofilm formation after NTP treatment, with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealing extensive structural damage to fungal spores. In vivo fruit infection assays further demonstrated that plasma-pretreated spores lost their ability to induce visible fungal colonization on tomatoes and nectarines, whereas untreated controls showed extensive fungal growth. These findings highlight NTP as a sustainable, chemical-free strategy for reducing the residual infectivity of resistant fungal spores and biofilms associated with fresh produce contamination. Future research should focus on optimizing treatment parameters and further clarifying the contribution of plasma-generated reactive species to fungal inactivation.