Comparison of atmospheric cold plasma and pulsed electric fields for bioactive compound extraction and color...

Rosa foetida (Iranian yellow rose) is a valuable natural source of phenolic compounds, antioxidants, and color pigments, making it a promising ingredient for food and pharmaceutical applications. This study evaluated the effects of Atmospheric cold plasma (ACP) and Pulsed electric fields (PEF) pretreatments prior to aqueous maceration on the extraction of bioactive compounds and color characteristics from Iranian yellow rose petals. ACP was applied at power levels of 25-50 W for 2.5-5 min, whereas PEF treatments were performed at electric field strengths of 3-7 kV cm⁻¹ with 50-120 pulses. PEF pretreatment at 7 kV cm⁻¹ and 120 pulses resulted in the highest total polyphenol content (8.819 mg GAE/g) and antioxidant activity (61.8%), significantly higher than those obtained by conventional extraction (7.145 mg GAE/g and 36.99%, respectively; P < 0.05). Both ACP and PEF significantly affected the color attributes of the extracts, with the greatest enhancement in color parameters observed following ACP treatment at 25 W for 2.5 min. Overall, PEF pretreatment demonstrated superior performance in enhancing the recovery of bioactive compounds compared with ACP and may represent a promising non-thermal strategy for improving the extraction efficiency of phenolic compounds from R. foetida petals.