The degradation of antibiotic resistance gene in fresh produce using plasma-activated water

The food safety risks caused by antibiotic-resistance gene (ARG) have received more and more attention. This study investigated the degradation effect and mechanism of plasma-activated water (PAW) on ARG. Firstly, the PAW enriched with peroxynitrite (ONOO-/ONOOH) was prepared by air discharge plasma jet. And the energy efficiency and ONOOH yield far exceeded previous studies. Using the chemical reagent of ONOOH and its scavenger, we clarified the crucial role of ONOOH. The deactivation efficiency for ampicillin-resistance ( amp R ) gene was measured by transformation assay. With the increasing of treatment time, the deactivation gradually increased. And 60 min treatment by PAW-150ml can deactivate 3.4 log unit of amp R gene. Degradation efficiency was also determined by Quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis. 60 min treatment by PAW-150ml can degrade 2.4 log unit of amp R gene. In addition, it was verified that the ARG could be effectively controlled by PAW on the tomato (1.55 log reduction) and lettuce (1.37 log reduction) without affecting the color quality. Lastly, the mechanism of DNA molecular damaged by ONOOH was elucidated using molecular dynamics simulation. This study could enhance the understanding of PAW’s ability to remove ARG, and will promote the application of PAW in the decontamination of fresh agricultural products. • The yield of peroxynitrite (ONOOH) prepared by air plasma jet can reach to ∼1mM. • ONOOH is the key reactive species for removing antibiotic-resistance gene (ARG). • Molecular dynamics simulation was conducted on the reaction between ONOOH and DNA. • ONOOH can effectively remove ARG without causing the color changes in vegetables.