Effects of Dielectric Barrier Discharge Cold Atmospheric Plasma on Volatile Components of Cordyceps Chanhua Fruiting Bodies

Abstract

The effects of dielectric barrier discharge cold atmospheric plasma (DBD-CAP) on the volatile profiles of C. chanhua fruiting bodies were investigated. Powdered samples were treated at 80 or 120 kV for 2 or 4 min and volatile compounds were analyzed using headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) coupled with gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and chemometrics. In total, 82 volatile compounds were identified and the number of compounds increased from 42 in the control (CK) to 75 following treatment at 120 kV for 4 min (T4). The relative proportion of esters decreased from 81.38% in CK to 29.42% in T4, whereas aldehydes and ketones increased from 6.11% and 2.99% to 30.81% and 12.54%, respectively. This redistribution was accompanied by marked increases in 2-butyloct-2-enal, 2-undecanone, nonanal, (Z)-11-pentadecenal, and (E,Z)-2,13-octadecadienol. Multivariate analyses revealed treatment-dependent flavor differentiation, with T4 exhibiting the most distinct volatile profile. These findings demonstrate that DBD-CAP reconfigured the volatile profile of C. chanhua from ester dominance toward greater relative contributions from aldehydes and ketones, highlighting its potential for modulating the flavor characteristics of C. chanhua fruiting bodies.