Cold Plasma-Induced Structural Reconfiguration and Allergenicity Modulation in Atlantic Cod: Linking Conformational Shifts to Digestibility and Immunoreactivity

This study explores how atmospheric cold plasma (CP) modulates the nutritional and allergenic properties of Atlantic cod through structural protein alterations. CP at 10 min reduced parvalbumin content by 9.14%, likely via α-helix loss and β-sheet increase (confirmed by FTIR amide I shifts and CD analysis), which may hinder IgE epitope recognition. Antioxidant indices TAC, TFC, and TPC peaked at CP10 (21.56%, 68.48%) and CP30 (14.00%), respectively. Protein content increased by 10.76% (pre-digestion) and 30.20% (post-digestion) at CP20, while peptide release rose by 61.18% and 26.27% at CP30. Despite microstructural and conformational changes, digestibility remained stable. These findings highlight CP as a non-thermal strategy that enhances bioactive and hypoallergenic properties of cod, with potential for broader application to other high-allergen aquatic proteins.