Application of Plasma-Activated Water and Ozone Gas for Improving the Quality of Harvested Pineapple

Postharvest decay and senescence are major limitations to the storage and export of pineapple (Ananas comosus), leading to substantial quality loss and economic impact. This study evaluated the efficacy of plasma-activated water (PAW) at different dipping durations and its combined application with ozone fumigation in controlling decay and senescence in pineapple. Fruits were dipped in PAW for 0 (control), 5, 10, 15, and 20 minutes. Treated fruits were stored at 13°C and 95%RH for 25 days. Quality assessments, including disease incidence, disease severity, weight loss, and color changes, were recorded.  The results showed that PAW significantly reduced disease incidence and severity during storage, with no effect on color changes. However, the combination of 20-minute PAW dipping followed by ozone fumigation at 325–350 ppm for 1 hour effectively reduced both disease incidence and severity, minimized weight loss during the early storage period, and delayed senescence by maintaining peel color compared to control. These findings highlight the potential of combined PAW and ozone treatment as a sustainable postharvest strategy to improve the storage quality of pineapple fruit.