Abstract: This study investigated the effect of cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) at different combinations of power (0, 150, and 250 W) and time (0, 30 and 90 s) on the decay incidence, percent mass loss, respiration rate, total phenolic content, anthocyanin content, malondialdehyde (MDA) content, and H2O2 content of raspberry fruits during postharvest storage. The aim was to explore the effect and mechanism of CAP on the postharvest preservation of raspberry fruits. The results showed that CAP at 250 W, 90 s extended the storage life of raspberry fruits by 2–5 days. On the 5th day of storage, the decay incidence and percent mass loss of the treated fruit were 22.61% and 35.97%, which were both lower than those of the control group; however, there was no significant difference in juice yield or total soluble solid content between the two groups. Besides, the treatment maintained the titratable acid (1.16%), soluble protein (204.5 mg/100 g) and anthocyanin (107.7 mg/L) contents, increased the synthesis of total phenols (85.72 mg/100 g), inhibited the respiration rate (5.683 mg/(kg·h)), decreased the contents of malonaldehyde (30.99 mmol/g) and H2O2 (6.858 mmol/L), and improved the superoxide anion free radical scavenging capacity (4.21 U/g). Therefore, CAP is effective in extending the shelf life of raspberry fruits while maintaining its quality.

Key words: cold atmospheric plasma, raspberry, postharvest, storage quality