Effect of Modified Atmosphere Packaging Combined with Plasma-Activated Water on the Quality Changes of Fresh-Cut Cabbage during Storage

This study first evaluated the major head traits of three common cabbage varieties: ‘Zhonggan 26’, ‘Zhonggan C2’, and ‘Shinong 200’, finding that ‘Zhonggan 26’ exhibited significantly superior performance in compactness, vitamin C content, total phenol content, and 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity, making it the most suitable variety for fresh-cut processing. Next, ‘Zhonggan 26’ was selected to investigate the effects of modified atmosphere packaging (MAP), plasma-activated water (PAW), and their combination on the quality of fresh-cut cabbage during storage at 4 ℃. The results indicated that MAP with 95% N₂ led to the lowest mass loss. After 6 days of storage, the total colony count of the group subjected to PAW treatment for 15 min was 5.73 (lg(CFU/g)), and the mass loss rate and browning index decreased to the lowest values. Further analysis revealed that the combined treatment resulted in lower total colony count and browning index compared with individual treatments, with values of 5.45 (lg(CFU/g)) and 0.19 observed after 6 days of storage, respectively. This may be because the low-oxygen environment created by MAP downregulated the gene expression of microbial antioxidant enzymes (such as superoxide dismutase and catalase) and consequently inhibited the capacity of cells to scavenge reactive oxygen species (ROS), while enhancing the damaging effect of oxidative stress induced by PAW on the microbial cellular structure. Consequently, the combined treatment achieved synergistic effects in bacteriostasis, browning inhibition, and nutrient retention. In conclusion, the combination of MAP and PAW significantly delays the quality deterioration of fresh-cut cabbage, providing a novel strategy for its storage and preservation.