A novel non-destructive framework for monitoring physiological integrity in persimmons using cold plasma and hyperspectral reflectance

This study evaluated the effects of dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) cold plasma (CP) treatment (10, 20, and 30 min) on the physiological properties of whole persimmon fruit during 60 days of storage at 6 °C, alongside hyperspectral imaging (HSI) for non-destructive quality assessment. Results showed firmness decreased significantly over storage across all samples with no significant differences between CP-treated and control fruit. In contrast, CP treatment effectively reduced electrolyte leakage by about 10% compared with the control, demonstrating improved membrane stability. Vitamin C levels increased immediately after 15 days of treatment but declined later, converging across treatments by day 60. Total soluble solids increased from 23 to 24.2 °Brix at day 0 to 26–27.4 °Brix by day 60, with slightly higher values in plasma-treated fruit. HSI (400–1000 nm) combined with integrated PLSR–RICA analysis identified 10 key wavelengths for predicting physiological responses. Regression modeling showed strong predictive accuracy for firmness and EL (R 2 > 0.83) and moderate accuracy for TSS (R 2 = 0.68). Among treatments, the 10-min exposure (P10) provided the highest spectral reflectance (AUC) and lowest EL values, indicating superior preservation of quality attributes. This work validates a powerful synergy between CP and HSI, offering a globally applicable strategy for real-time quality assessment, improving fruit preservation, and ultimately reducing food waste. • CP reduced electrolyte leakage by about 10%, improving membrane stability. • HSI non-destructively monitors key physiological quality markers. • Strong prediction accuracy for firmness and EL (R 2 > 0.83) using HSI models. • P10 treatment showed highest spectral reflectance and best quality retention. • Predictive models (PLSR/RICA) successfully link spectral data to physical fruit properties.