Subcellular damages of pathogenic fungi combined with gene expression analysis reveals mechanisms that cold plasma controlling apricot disease

Dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma technology has proven effective in controlling postharvest fungus in fruits and vegetables. However, its mechanism of action is rarely reported. In this study, DBD technology was investigated to inhibit apricot diseases under the conditions of shelf simulation, and its mechanism was analysed. Apricot fruits and pathogenic fungal spores were treated with DBD of different voltage intensities(fruits: 80 kV, 90 kV, 100 kV; spores: 80 kV, 100 kV, 120 kV). Experimental data showed that DBD plasma treatment significantly reduced the microbial biomass on the surface of apricot fruit and inhibit Rhizopus oryzae and Alternaria tenuissima. Rhizopus oryzae and Alternaria tenuissima's spore germination decreased by 74.7% and 82.0%, respectively, after 40 s of processing with 100 kV DBD treatment. To investigate DBD plasma's antibacterial mechanism, deoxyribonucleic acid damage and the morphological characteristics of fungal spores were determined; this indicated that DBD plasma treatment resulted in nuclear degradation and cell deformation. In addition, DBD treatment enhanced apricots' expression of phenylalanine ammonia-lyase 1 (PAL1), aldehyde dehydrogenase 2B7 (ALDH2B7) and GDP-L-galactose phosphorylase (VTC2), delayed disease and improved quality under shelf storage conditions. The results demonstrated that DBD plasma treatment could control the primary diseases of apricot fruit and enhance the quality by destroying microbial spores and activating the disease-resistant genes of the fruit.