Cold plasma effects on the nutrients and microbiological quality of sprouts

Sprouts have been more and more popular among people all over the world due to their health benefits and good taste. Cold plasma (CP) is a promising and efficient nonthermal technology that has been applied to various aspects, including seed germination, plant growth, the synthesis of secondary metabolites. This review aims to represent the current knowledge status and future insights of CP on germination, nutritional quality and microbial inactivation of sprouts, and influencing mechanism was also discussed. CP under favorable conditions can promote the growth of sprouts, thus increase the yield of sprouts and microgreens. Numerous studies suggest that CP can promote the accumulation of bioactive compounds in sprouts, and subsequently enhance biological activities and so on the antioxidant capacity and antiproliferative effect. CP is an effective method for the inactivation of microorganisms on seeds and sprouts by reactive species. Therefore, CP is a promising technology for the sustainable development of sprouts industry.