Abstract
Discharge plasma irradiates seeds with reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS). However, RONS introduced in seeds by plasma irradiation have not been successfully detected thus far. This study provides experimental evidence that nitrate ion NO(3)(-) is introduced in lettuce seeds as RONS upon irradiation with atmospheric-pressure air dielectric barrier discharge plasma. Plasma irradiation for 5 min promotes seed germination. The components of the plasma-irradiated seeds were examined using electrospray ionization quantum mass spectrometry (ESI QMS), which revealed that the plasma irradiation introduced an ion with a mass of 62 m/z in detectable amounts. This ion was identified as NO(3)(-) by liquid chromatography (LC), multiple wavelength detector (MWD), and LC-ESI QMS. A one-dimensional simulation at electron temperature T(e) = 1 eV, electron density N(e) = 10(13)/m(3), and gas temperature T(g) = 300 K indicated the introduction of NO(3)(-), involving nitric oxide NO. NO(3)(-) is one of the most important ions that trigger signal transduction for germination when introduced in seeds. The scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images revealed that there was no change on the surface of the seeds after plasma irradiation. Plasma irradiation is an effective method of introducing NO(3)(-) in seeds in a dry process without causing damage.