The paper presents the results of an experiment on the effect of pre-sowing stimulation of seeds with atmospheric pressure plasma jet operating with dielectric barrier discharge (DBD plasma jet) on the process of germination of Thuringian Mallow (Lavatera thuringiaca L.). Five groups of seeds characterized by a different exposure times (1, 2, 5, 10 and 15 minutes) as well as untreated seeds—control were used. Pre-sowing plasma stimulation of seeds improved germination parameters such as: germination capacity and germination energy for all tested groups relative to control. The highest germination parameters were obtained for seeds stimulated with plasma for the exposure times of 2 and 5 min. The analysis of the contact surface angle indicated the decrease of its’ mean values upon seed stimulation while no statistical effects were observed. Analysis of the SEM scans revealed the increase in seed pattern intensity which could be attributed to removing of the surface parts of cuticle possibly covered with wax upon short time—2 and 5 min plasma treatment. Such a phenomenon can act similarly to mechanical scarification of seeds. Longer exposure of seeds to plasma resulted in affecting the deeper zone of cuticle and damage or fracture of some parts of the cuticle. Lower germination parameters of seeds upon longer exposure times to plasma may indicate mechanical damage of the seeds.

Gluten-free bread making success is closely linked to the biophysical behaviour of dough. Quality of these doughs is largely determined by the properties of their proteins and starch. This study aimed to explain, at the structural level the rheological behaviour of gluten-free rice-field bean dough compared to that of soft wheat. The conformational aspects of proteins and starch were studied using Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). Doughs of soft wheat, rice, field bean, mixture of rice-field bean flour and the same mixture where a portion of rice flour underwent hydrothermal treatment were studied. The results show that viscous and viscoelastic components of gluten-free doughs were changed by supplementation of rice with field bean flour. Most of gluten-free doughs possessed a higher storage modulus in comparison with soft wheat dough. Analysis of FT-IR spectra in the amide I region conveyed to find the differences relative to soft wheat flour dough showed that in non-gluten doughs the increase in β-sheet content was observed at the expense of β-turns. These results were confirmed by amide I deconvolution. Gluten-free doughs contained more β-sheet structure as compared to soft wheat dough and less β-turns inducing high structuralization level that characterized this type of dough matrix. Concerning starch, the supplementation with rice-field bean generated the reorganization of field bean and rice doughs starches approaching that of wheat dough.