In this comparative study, the bacterial inactivation efficiency of plasma-activated water (PAW) generated by two distinct plasma reactors, one utilizing a nitrogen plasma jet electrode and the other a hybrid argon plasma reactor, was explored. The present study involved the assessment of antimicrobial activity against suspensions of three Gram-positive and three Gram-negative bacterial strains in their planktonic cell state. Bacterial suspensions were introduced into PAW five days after generation. Subsequently, the viability of the bacteria was assessed at various time intervals, specifically at 0.5, 1, 3, 5, 10, and 24 h, in order to evaluate the effect of inactivation. Structural changes in bacteria after PAW treatment were assessed using a scanning electron microscope (SEM). The physicochemical properties of PAW, including pH, conductivity, and concentrations of H₂O₂, NO₂⁻, and NO₃⁻ during aging were measured. The present study demonstrated the effective inactivation of the tested bacterial strains by PAW. Gram-positive bacteria displayed greater resistance compared to Gram-negative species, with the lowest reductions in bacterial counts observed for B. cereus, and the highest for Escherichia coli O157:H7. Morphological damage was evident across all bacterial species examined. Physicochemical measurements showed slow decay of the reactive species in the aging process. This study illustrated the potential utility of PAW as an alternative disinfectant.

In this study, PAW was generated using an argon plasma jet in the presence and absence of magnesium plates as a source of Mg ²⁺ ions. The physicochemical properties of PAW were characterized by measuring pH, oxidation‐reduction potential, electrical conductivity, and the concentrations of H₂O₂, NO₂ ⁻ , and NO₃ ⁻ during generation and subsequent storage. Results demonstrated that PAW without Mg exhibited higher OR P values (≈420 mV) and lower pH (5.3–5.7), while PAW Mg maintained a near‐neutral pH (6.2–6.4) and significantly lower ORP (≈75–275 mV). Hydrogen peroxide levels were generally higher in PAW without Mg during most of the generation period (10–50 min), whereas PAW Mg retained slightly higher concentrations at the 60‐min endpoint, indicating a stabilizing effect of magnesium on reactive species. PAW Mg also showed slower degradation of RONS during the aging period, confirming its superior stability. The antimicrobial activity of both PAW types was evaluated against six planktonic bacterial strains, including Gram‐negative ( Escherichia coli O157:H7, Salmonella enteritidis , Pseudomonas aeruginosa ) and Gram‐positive ( Staphylococcus aureus , Listeria monocytogenes , Bacillus cereus ). PAW Mg achieved total inactivation (≈8 log₁₀ reduction) of all species within 24 h, while PAW without Mg also demonstrated strong bactericidal efficacy, with reductions above 5 log₁₀ for all tested bacteria after 24 h. Gram‐positive strains were generally more resistant, with B. cereus showing the lowest susceptibility. Scanning electron microscopy revealed pronounced membrane damage and morphological alterations, particularly in cells treated with PAW Mg, consistent with the higher bactericidal efficiency of this treatment. Overall, Mg ²⁺ incorporation reduced ORP but stabilized reactive species, extending antimicrobial activity and improving efficacy. PAW Mg emerged as a more stable disinfectant, while PAW without Mg also showed strong microbial inactivation, supporting their potential in food safety and environmental use.

The aims of this study were to determine and compare the basic physico-chemical quality parameters of cultivated and wild pomegranate seed oils (CPSO and WPSO, respectively), along with their antioxidant, antihyperglycemic, antiproliferative, and antimicrobial activities. Both cultivated and wild pomegranate seed oils displayed a similar physico-chemical composition, with eicosapentaenoic acid being the predominant fatty acid, accounting for approximately 80 % in both oils. The carotenoid content was higher in cultivated pomegranate seed oil (7.53 mg β-carotene/kg), whereas wild pomegranate seed oil had a greater total chlorophyll content (0.21 mg pheophytin-a/kg). The total phenol contents (0.47 and 0.50 mg GAE/g), flavonoids (0.03 mg Qc/g for both), flavonols (0.55 mg Qc/g for both), and flavan-3-ols (20.03 and 25.00 mg CAT/g) in CPSO and WPSO, respectively, were comparable between the two oil samples. Both oils exhibited strong antioxidant activity against DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) and ABTS (2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) free radicals and demonstrated good antihyperglycemic activity. However, neither oil showed antimicrobial activity against Salmonella enteritidis and Listeria monocytogenes, or antifungal activity on yeast Candida albicans. Antiproliferative activities were observed for both CPSO and WPSO on HeLa (epithelioid carcinoma of the cervix), MCF-7 (breast adenocarcinoma), and MRC-5 (normal fetal lung fibroblasts) cell lines, with IC50 values below 200 μg/ml. For the HT-29 cell line, the IC50 values were 652.04 µg/ml for CPSO and 414.88 µg/ml for WPSO, indicating stronger antiproliferative activity of WPSO. The inhibitory activities (IC50) correlate with the ability of the sample to inhibit cell proliferation by 50 %, with lower IC50 values indicating a stronger antiproliferative effect.