Molecular and biochemical insights after non-thermal plasma treatment during the germination process in maize grains

Non-thermal plasma has been identified as a promising tool for the pre-sowing treatment of agriculturally important crops. The present study investigates the impact of plasma treatment generated by diffuse coplanar surface barrier discharge (DCSBD) on maize ( Zea mays L.) grains during germination and early seedling development. The effects of the DCSBD treatment were described at the molecular and biochemical levels, as well as the morphological and surface properties of the maize grains. Key hydrolytic enzymes, namely α-amylase, β-amylase, and zein-degrading protease (ZDP), had been initially repressed after DCSBD treatment. However, subsequent analysis of the activity of proteases and α-amylase in plasma-treated variants revealed significantly higher levels in the plasma-treated variants compared to the untreated control. Concurrently, the decontamination effect of maize grains was demonstrated to be treatment-dependent as a result of DCSBD treatment. The present study has identified the genera of naturally colonized microorganisms on the maize grain surfaces, which include Fusarium , Penicillium , and Mucor . Due to the high germination capacity of the maize grains, no statistically significant differences in the final germination percentage were observed among the experimental variants after 48 h of cultivation, the stimulating effects were observed during the first 24 h of cultivation. This study provides a comprehensive characterization of plasma-induced treatment in maize grains. It describes several aspects in which plasma-treated variants had certain advantages compared to the untreated control, especially at critical stages of plant growth and development.