Abstract: To develop a new method for fresh fish sterilization,this work prepared three kinds of plasma-activated water(PAW)by treating deionized water with plasma jet for 1,2 and 3 min,respectively. Choosing Salmonella enteritidis(10⁸ CFU/mL)as the model bacteria and investigated the antibacterial activity and antimicrobial aging of plasma-activated water(PAW),and measured the long-acting bactericidal substance in PAW. Then,three kinds of PAW were used to treat yellow croaker slices inoculated with Salmonella enteritis,respectively. The number of Salmonella enteritidis colonies on yellow croaker and the effect of PWA on the fish color,pH,lipid oxidation,nitrite contents,water holding capacity,odor and taste were studied. Results demonstrated that PAW treated for 3 min showed the strongest antibacterial activity,the bactericidal rate of Salmonella enteritidis achieved 99.91%,and the antibacterial activity could be maintained for 8 h,which was related with the decomposition of the nitrite under acidic conditions and the formation of NO· and NO₂· radicals possessing strong antibacterial activity. In addition,PAW could result in the bactericidal rate of Salmonella enteritidis achieving 92.41%,inhibiting the corruption of the fish effectively during the storage,and not cause significant deterioration in the color,pH,lipid oxidation,nitrite contents,water holding capacity,odor and taste.