Plasma-activated water: Perspective of the theoretical model, safety assessment and application in animal-derived products

Plasma-activated water (PAW), an innovative disinfectant abundant in reactive species, has drawn widespread attention owing to its potential application in food cleaning and sterilization. Nevertheless, the current PAW preparation methods suffer from low efficiency, poor antibacterial stability, and limited yield, as well as, a lack of safety assessment. To address these challenges, the specific generation mechanism, the antimicrobial mechanism, and the safety evaluation of PAW are critically discussed. In this review, the common PAW generation devices were discussed and summarized. The microscale generation process of PAW was elucidated through plasma fluid models, and the interaction mechanism between reactive species and bacterial biomolecules was explained from the perspective of molecular dynamics. Furthermore, the safety of PAW was thoroughly discussed and potential opportunities for PAW applications in the animal-derived products were emphasized. Finally, important insights into the challenges of PAW applications and prospects for future research work were provided. The knowledge of reactive species reactions and preparation pathways of PAW is essential for the regulated generation of high-throughput PAW. The computer simulation technique could be used as a novel tool to provide a deeper understanding of the action mechanism between reactive species and biomolecules. The safety evaluation of PAW is clearly demonstrated through contact materials, skin cells, mice toxicity, mutagenicity, and immunotoxicity tests. Additionally, the published studies show that PAW has no significant side influence on properties of fish and meat, elucidating the feasibility of PAW being the novel food cleaning and disinfecting agent.