Development of Plasma-Activated Water (PAW) System: Molecular Dynamics Simulation and Experimental Study on Almond Aflatoxins

Abstract

Almonds play a significant role in Iran’s economy, and factors that threaten their market, such as aflatoxins, need careful consideration. Plasma-activated water (PAW) is a new method that has antioxidant activity and can eliminate toxins and microbial agents, making it a suitable solution for removing aflatoxins from almonds. In a study, the continuous PAW production system was used to control and remove almond aflatoxins, and molecular dynamics simulation was employed to evaluate the impact of PAW on aflatoxin B1. The study found that reducing the flow rate of plasma-treated water had the greatest effect on reducing aflatoxin concentration, followed by PAW application time, the dose of inoculated toxin, and the air/gas mixture ratio. The use of PAW reduced aflatoxin concentration in almonds by 12% to 56.8%. The simulation results suggested that PAW can affect the structure of aflatoxin B1, change and destroy its activity, and reduce its toxicity. Among the free radicals tested, NO₃⁻ was found to be the most effective in degrading aflatoxin B1. This study demonstrates the potential of PAW as a method to remove aflatoxins and enhance the safety of almonds.