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Applied Sciences
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Application of Plasma Technology in Bioscience and Biomedicine
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Application of Plasma Technology in Bioscience and Biomedicine

A special issue of Applied Sciences (ISSN 2076-3417). This special issue belongs to the section "Applied Biosciences and Bioengineering".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (5 December 2020) | Viewed by 43638

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Daniela Boehm

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Sciences and Health, Technological University Dublin, Dublin D7, Ireland
Interests: cold atmospheric plasma; plasma medicine; plasma activated liquids; antimicrobial effects; cytotoxicity; cancer
Dr. Cristina Canal

E-Mail Website1 Website2
Guest Editor
Department of Materials Science and Metallurgy (CMEM), Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC), 08034 Barcelona, Spain
Interests: cold plasmas for biomedical applications; surface modification of biomaterials; control of drug release from biomaterials; therapeutical appications of cold plasmas

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Plasma technology has been an integral part of life sciences research for decades through its role in the manufacture and modification of material surface characteristics of many common laboratory consumables. However, in recent years, the use of plasma at room temperature and atmospheric pressure (cold atmospheric plasma) has moved into the more immediate focus of bioscience and biomedicine due to its applicability to heat sensitive materials, including biomaterials, cells and tissue.

Plasma can elicit a wide range of biological effects predominantly based on the action of various reactive species generated in the discharge which can modify biomolecules, affect cell growth and behaviour or inactivate microorganisms. Its antimicrobial properties and the ability to control biofilms make cold plasma an interesting candidate for decontamination applications in the environmental, food or medical context. Plasma can on the one hand stimulate cell growth, which can benefit wound healing, and on the other hand inhibit proliferation, which is of interest in cancer treatment. It has been demonstrated that plasma can degrade biomolecules but also modify chemical structures and enzyme activities. Plasma deposition is used for generating material coatings with particular biological functions that increase biocompatibility or reduce cellular or microbial adhesion and find use in medical devices and biosensors. Plasma has also been demonstrated as a useful tool for delivering agents into cells such as nanoparticles, drugs or genes, and it can directly affect cell fate by influencing cell differentiation patterns or tissue regeneration. In addition, plasma-activated/treated liquids generated by exposing liquids to a plasma discharge can achieve many of the aforementioned biological effects induced by direct plasma due to a retention of longer-lived plasma reactive species. Recent years have seen cold plasma move into the clinic for its use in wound healing, and further applications are likely to follow.

In this Special Issue, we would like to cover the breadth and diversity of plasma technology in bioscience and biomedicine and provide a snapshot of some of the exciting research currently happening in this field.

Dr. Daniela Boehm
Dr. Cristina Canal 
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Applied Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Cold atmospheric plasma
  • Plasma medicine
  • Plasma activated/treated liquids
  • Plasma coating
  • Cancer treatment
  • Wound healing
  • Biocompatibility
  • Microbial inactivation
  • Biosensors
  • Surface modification
  • Drug delivery
  • Cell differentiation

Published Papers (16 papers)

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Editorial

Jump to: Research

4 pages, 187 KiB  
Editorial
Application of Plasma Technology in Bioscience and Biomedicine
by Daniela Boehm and Cristina Canal
Appl. Sci. 2021, 11(16), 7203; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11167203 - 04 Aug 2021
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1447
Abstract
Plasma technology has been an integral part of research in life sciences for decades through its role in the manufacture and modification of material surface characteristics of many common laboratory consumables, and it is still of interest in many fields, including the treatment [...] Read more.
Plasma technology has been an integral part of research in life sciences for decades through its role in the manufacture and modification of material surface characteristics of many common laboratory consumables, and it is still of interest in many fields, including the treatment of biomaterials and implants [...] Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Plasma Technology in Bioscience and Biomedicine)

Research

Jump to: Editorial

14 pages, 2590 KiB  
Article
Plasma Treatment of Fish Cells: The Importance of Defining Cell Culture Conditions in Comparative Studies
by Henrike Rebl, Claudia Bergemann, Sebastian Rakers, Barbara Nebe and Alexander Rebl
Appl. Sci. 2021, 11(6), 2534; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11062534 - 12 Mar 2021
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 3151
Abstract
The present study provides the fundamental results for the treatment of marine organisms with cold atmospheric pressure plasma. In farmed fish, skin lesions may occur as a result of intensive fish farming. Cold atmospheric plasma offers promising medical potential in wound healing processes. [...] Read more.
The present study provides the fundamental results for the treatment of marine organisms with cold atmospheric pressure plasma. In farmed fish, skin lesions may occur as a result of intensive fish farming. Cold atmospheric plasma offers promising medical potential in wound healing processes. Since the underlying plasma-mediated mechanisms at the physical and cellular level are yet to be fully understood, we investigated the sensitivity of three fish cell lines to plasma treatment in comparison with mammalian cells. We varied (I) cell density, (II) culture medium, and (III) pyruvate concentration in the medium as experimental parameters. Depending on the experimental setup, the plasma treatment affected the viability of the different cell lines to varying degrees. We conclude that it is mandatory to use similar cell densities and an identical medium, or at least a medium with identical antioxidant capacity, when studying plasma effects on different cell lines. Altogether, fish cells showed a higher sensitivity towards plasma treatment than mammalian cells in most of our setups. These results should increase the understanding of the future treatment of fish. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Plasma Technology in Bioscience and Biomedicine)
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18 pages, 8522 KiB  
Article
Functionalization Strategies and Fabrication of Solvent-Cast PLLA for Bioresorbable Stents
by Romain Schieber, Yago Raymond, Cristina Caparrós, Jordi Bou, Enrique Herrero Acero, Georg M. Guebitz, Cristina Canal and Marta Pegueroles
Appl. Sci. 2021, 11(4), 1478; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11041478 - 06 Feb 2021
Cited by 14 | Viewed by 3307
Abstract
Actual polymer bioresorbable stents (BRS) generate a risk of device thrombosis as a consequence of the incomplete endothelialization after stent implantation. The material-tissue interactions are not fully controlled and stent fabrication techniques do not allow personalized medical solutions. This work investigates the effect [...] Read more.
Actual polymer bioresorbable stents (BRS) generate a risk of device thrombosis as a consequence of the incomplete endothelialization after stent implantation. The material-tissue interactions are not fully controlled and stent fabrication techniques do not allow personalized medical solutions. This work investigates the effect of different functionalization strategies onto solvent-cast poly(l-lactic acid) (PLLA) surfaces with the capacity to enhance surface endothelial adhesion and the fabrication of 3D printed BRS. PLLA films were obtained by solvent casting and treated thermally to increase mechanical properties. Surface functionalization was performed by oxygen plasma (OP), sodium hydroxide (SH) etching, or cutinase enzyme (ET) hydrolysis, generating hydroxyl and carboxyl groups. A higher amount of carboxyl and hydroxyl groups was determined on OP and ET compared to the SH surfaces, as determined by contact angle and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Endothelial cells (ECs) adhesion and spreading was higher on OP and ET functionalized surfaces correlated with the increase of functional groups without affecting the degradation. To verify the feasibility of the approach proposed, 3D printed PLLA BRS stents were produced by the solvent-cast direct writing technique. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Plasma Technology in Bioscience and Biomedicine)
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12 pages, 3182 KiB  
Article
Analysing Mouse Skin Cell Behaviour under a Non-Thermal kHz Plasma Jet
by Andrea Jurov, Špela Kos, Nataša Hojnik, Ivana Sremački, Anton Nikiforov, Christophe Leys, Gregor Serša and Uroš Cvelbar
Appl. Sci. 2021, 11(3), 1266; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11031266 - 30 Jan 2021
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1992
Abstract
Plasma jets are extensively used in biomedical applications, particularly for exploring cell viability behaviour. However, many experimental parameters influence the results, including jet characteristics, secondary liquid chemistry and protocols used, slowing research progress. A specific interest of the presented research was skin cell [...] Read more.
Plasma jets are extensively used in biomedical applications, particularly for exploring cell viability behaviour. However, many experimental parameters influence the results, including jet characteristics, secondary liquid chemistry and protocols used, slowing research progress. A specific interest of the presented research was skin cell behaviour under a non-thermal kHz plasma jet—a so-called cold plasma jet—as a topical skin treatment. Our research was focused on in vitro mouse skin cell direct plasma treatment with argon as an operating gas. The research was complemented with detailed gas-phase diagnostics and liquid-phase chemical analysis of the plasma and plasma-treated medium, respectively. The obtained results showed that direct plasma jet treatment was very destructive, leading to low cell viability. Even with short treatment times (from 35 s to 60 s), apoptosis was observed for most L929 murine fibroblasts under approximately the same conditions. This behaviour was attributed to plasma species generated from direct treatment and the types of cell lines used. Importantly, the research exposed important points that should be taken under consideration for all further research in this field: the urgent need to upgrade and standardise existing plasma treatment protocols of cell lines; to monitor gas and liquid chemistries and to standardise plasma discharge parameters. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Plasma Technology in Bioscience and Biomedicine)
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18 pages, 5212 KiB  
Article
Distinct Chemistries Define the Diverse Biological Effects of Plasma Activated Water Generated with Spark and Glow Plasma Discharges
by Evanthia Tsoukou, Maxime Delit, Louise Treint, Paula Bourke and Daniela Boehm
Appl. Sci. 2021, 11(3), 1178; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11031178 - 27 Jan 2021
Cited by 14 | Viewed by 3315
Abstract
The spread of multidrug-resistant bacteria poses a significant threat to human health. Plasma activated liquids (PAL) could be a promising alternative for microbial decontamination, where different PAL can possess diverse antimicrobial efficacies and cytotoxic profiles, depending on the range and concentration of their [...] Read more.
The spread of multidrug-resistant bacteria poses a significant threat to human health. Plasma activated liquids (PAL) could be a promising alternative for microbial decontamination, where different PAL can possess diverse antimicrobial efficacies and cytotoxic profiles, depending on the range and concentration of their reactive chemical species. In this research, the biological activity of plasma activated water (PAW) on different biological targets including both microbiological and mammalian cells was investigated in vitro. The aim was to further an understanding of the specific role of distinct plasma reactive species, which is required to tailor plasma activated liquids for use in applications where high antimicrobial activity is required without adversely affecting the biology of eukaryotic cells. PAW was generated by glow and spark discharges, which provide selective generation of hydrogen peroxide, nitrite and nitrate in the liquid. The PAW made by either spark or glow discharges showed similar antimicrobial efficacy and stability of activity, despite the very different reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species profiles (RNS). However, different trends were observed for cytotoxic activities and effects on enzyme function, which were translated through the selective chemical species generation. These findings indicate very distinct mechanisms of action which may be exploited when tailoring plasma activated liquids to various applications. A remarkable stability to heat and pressure was noted for PAW generated with this set up, which broadens the application potential. These features also suggest that post plasma modifications and post generation stability can be harnessed as a further means of modulating the chemistry, activity and mode of delivery of plasma functionalised liquids. Overall, these results further understanding on how PAL generation may be tuned to provide candidate disinfectant agents for biomedical application or for bio-decontamination in diverse areas. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Plasma Technology in Bioscience and Biomedicine)
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16 pages, 3644 KiB  
Article
One-Step Liquid Phase Polymerization of HEMA by Atmospheric-Pressure Plasma Discharges for Ti Dental Implants
by Judit Buxadera-Palomero, Katja Fricke, Stephan Reuter, Francisco Javier Gil, Daniel Rodriguez and Cristina Canal
Appl. Sci. 2021, 11(2), 662; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11020662 - 12 Jan 2021
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 2552
Abstract
Dental implants can fail due to various factors, in which bad tissue integration is believed to have a significant role. Specific properties of the implant surface, such as its chemistry and roughness, are of paramount importance to address specific cell responses, such as [...] Read more.
Dental implants can fail due to various factors, in which bad tissue integration is believed to have a significant role. Specific properties of the implant surface, such as its chemistry and roughness, are of paramount importance to address specific cell responses, such as the adsorption of proteins, as well as the adhesion and differentiation of cells, which are suitable for biomaterial and tissue engineering. In this study, an acrylate-containing coating was produced on titanium surfaces through the atmospheric pressure plasma treatment of a liquid precursor, 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate. A hydrophilic coating was obtained, showing retention of the monomer chemistry as assessed by FTIR analysis and XPS. Enhanced fibroblast adhesion and decreased Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli adhesion were recorded, showing that this is a suitable method to produce biocompatible coatings with a reduced bacterial adhesion. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Plasma Technology in Bioscience and Biomedicine)
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12 pages, 6948 KiB  
Article
Low-Temperature Plasma as an Approach for Inhibiting a Multi-Species Cariogenic Biofilm
by Leandro W. Figueira, Beatriz H. D. Panariello, Cristiane Y. Koga-Ito and Simone Duarte
Appl. Sci. 2021, 11(2), 570; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11020570 - 08 Jan 2021
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2470
Abstract
This study aimed to determine how low-temperature plasma (LTP) treatment affects single- and multi-species biofilms formed by Streptococcus mutans, Streptococcus sanguinis, and Streptococcus gordonii formed on hydroxyapatite discs. LTP was produced by argon gas using the kINPen09™ (Leibniz Institute for Plasma [...] Read more.
This study aimed to determine how low-temperature plasma (LTP) treatment affects single- and multi-species biofilms formed by Streptococcus mutans, Streptococcus sanguinis, and Streptococcus gordonii formed on hydroxyapatite discs. LTP was produced by argon gas using the kINPen09™ (Leibniz Institute for Plasma Science and Technology, INP, Greifswald, Germany). Biofilms were treated at a 10 mm distance from the nozzle of the plasma device to the surface of the biofilm per 30 s, 60 s, and 120 s. A 0.89% saline solution and a 0.12% chlorhexidine solution were used as negative and positive controls, respectively. Argon flow at three exposure times (30 s, 60 s, and 120 s) was also used as control. Biofilm viability was analyzed by colony-forming units (CFU) recovery and confocal laser scanning microscopy. Multispecies biofilms presented a reduction in viability (log10 CFU/mL) for all plasma-treated samples when compared to both positive and negative controls (p < 0.0001). In single-species biofilms formed by either S. mutans or S. sanguinis, a significant reduction in all exposure times was observed when compared to both positive and negative controls (p < 0.0001). For single-species biofilms formed by S. gordonii, the results indicate total elimination of S. gordonii for all exposure times. Low exposure times of LTP affects single- and multi-species cariogenic biofilms, which indicates that the treatment is a promising source for the development of new protocols for the control of dental caries. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Plasma Technology in Bioscience and Biomedicine)
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21 pages, 8020 KiB  
Article
How to Confer a Permanent Bio-Repelling and Bio-Adhesive Character to Biomedical Materials through Cold Plasmas
by Eloisa Sardella, Roberto Gristina, Fiorenza Fanelli, Valeria Veronico, Gabriella Da Ponte, Jennifer Kroth, Francesco Fracassi and Pietro Favia
Appl. Sci. 2020, 10(24), 9101; https://doi.org/10.3390/app10249101 - 19 Dec 2020
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1772
Abstract
Plasma Enhanced–Chemical Vapor Deposition (PE-CVD) of polyethylene oxide-like (PEO)-like coatings represent a successful strategy to address cell-behavior on biomaterials. Indeed, one of the main drawbacks of organic and hydrophilic films, like PEO-like ones, often consists in their poor adhesion to the substrate, especially [...] Read more.
Plasma Enhanced–Chemical Vapor Deposition (PE-CVD) of polyethylene oxide-like (PEO)-like coatings represent a successful strategy to address cell-behavior on biomaterials. Indeed, one of the main drawbacks of organic and hydrophilic films, like PEO-like ones, often consists in their poor adhesion to the substrate, especially in biological fluids where the biomaterial is required to operate. In this paper, low pressure (LP) and aerosol-assisted atmospheric pressure (aerosol-assisted AP) PE-CVD of PEO-like coatings is compared. The stability of the two different classes of coatings was investigated, both in water and in the cell culture media, during cell culture experiments. The obtained results show that, when deposited at atmospheric pressure (AP), the adhesion of the PEO-like coatings to the substrate has to be granted by an intermediate gradient layer. This interlayer can match the properties of the substrate with that of the topmost coatings, and, in turn, can dramatically improve the coating’s stability in complex biological fluids, like the cell culture medium. An accurate modulation of the experimental conditions, both at LP and AP, allowed control of the film chemical structure and surface properties, to permanently promote or discourage the cellular adhesion on the surfaces of biomaterials. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Plasma Technology in Bioscience and Biomedicine)
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14 pages, 3701 KiB  
Article
The Role of Mitochondria in the Dual Effect of Low-Temperature Plasma on Human Bone Marrow Stem Cells: From Apoptosis to Activation of Cell Proliferation
by Sergej V. Belov, Yakov P. Lobachevsky, Yurij K. Danilejko, Aleksej B. Egorov, Alexander V. Simakin, Alireza Maleki, Andrey A. Temnov, Mikhail V. Dubinin and Sergey V. Gudkov
Appl. Sci. 2020, 10(24), 8971; https://doi.org/10.3390/app10248971 - 16 Dec 2020
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 1729
Abstract
The potential use of low-temperature plasma (LTP) for therapeutic purposes has aroused the concern of many researchers. This paper examines the effect of LTP on the morphofunctional state of human bone marrow stem cells (BMSC). It has been established that LTP-induced oxidative stress [...] Read more.
The potential use of low-temperature plasma (LTP) for therapeutic purposes has aroused the concern of many researchers. This paper examines the effect of LTP on the morphofunctional state of human bone marrow stem cells (BMSC). It has been established that LTP-induced oxidative stress has a dual effect on the state of stem cells. On the one hand, a cell culture exposed to LTP exhibits the progression of a destructive processes, which is manifested by the perturbation of the cell’s morphology, the initiation of lipid peroxidation and the accumulation of products of this process, like diene conjugates and malondialdehyde, as well as the induction of mitochondrial dysfunction, leading to cell death. On the other hand, the effect of LTP on BMSC located at a distance from the plasma is accompanied by the activation of proliferative processes, as evidenced by the tendency of the activity of mitochondrial biogenesis and fission/fusion processes to increase. The paper discusses the role of mitochondria and reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the cellular response to LTP. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Plasma Technology in Bioscience and Biomedicine)
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14 pages, 2084 KiB  
Article
Changes in Growth and Production of Non-Psychotropic Cannabinoids Induced by Pre-Sowing Treatment of Hemp Seeds with Cold Plasma, Vacuum and Electromagnetic Field
by Anatolii Ivankov, Zita Nauciene, Rasa Zukiene, Laima Degutyte-Fomins, Asta Malakauskiene, Paulius Kraujalis, Petras Rimantas Venskutonis, Irina Filatova, Veronika Lyushkevich and Vida Mildaziene
Appl. Sci. 2020, 10(23), 8519; https://doi.org/10.3390/app10238519 - 28 Nov 2020
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 3486
Abstract
In this study, the effects of seed treatments with different stressors, such as cold plasma (CP), a vacuum and an electromagnetic field (EMF), on the in vitro germination of industrial hemp cv. Futura 75 were compared with the effects on germination in the [...] Read more.
In this study, the effects of seed treatments with different stressors, such as cold plasma (CP), a vacuum and an electromagnetic field (EMF), on the in vitro germination of industrial hemp cv. Futura 75 were compared with the effects on germination in the field, plant growth, and the amount of major cannabinoids in the leaves and inflorescences of female plants. CP and EMF (but not vacuum) treatments improved in vitro seed germination, but had no impact on germination in the field. EMF treatment increased the weight of the above-ground part of male and female plants grown for 4 months by 65–70% and the number of female inflorescences by 70%. CP stimulated the growth of male plants (weight increased 1.4 times) but reduced the growth of female plants. Vacuum treatment did not induce changes in the growth of female and male plants. Vacuum and EMF treatments did not change the amount of cannabidiolic acid (CBDA), but CP decreased the CBDA content in hemp leaves by 41%. Vacuum treatment increased the amount of CBDA in female plant inflorescences by 26%. Thus, hemp seed treatment with EMF has a potential application for increasing the biomass of female plants. CP treatment can be used to increase male plant production while vacuum treatment can stimulate CBD production. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Plasma Technology in Bioscience and Biomedicine)
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18 pages, 7779 KiB  
Article
Deposition of Cell Culture Coatings Using a Cold Plasma Deposition Method
by Denis O’Sullivan, Hazel McArdle, Sing Wei Ng, Paula Bourke, Robert Forster and Liam O’Neill
Appl. Sci. 2020, 10(19), 6670; https://doi.org/10.3390/app10196670 - 24 Sep 2020
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 3856
Abstract
Collagen coatings were applied onto polystyrene microplates using a cold atmospheric pressure plasma process. The coatings were compared to standard wet chemical collagen thin films using microscopy, surface energy, infra-red spectroscopy, electrophoresis, and cell culture techniques. Thin films were also deposited on gold [...] Read more.
Collagen coatings were applied onto polystyrene microplates using a cold atmospheric pressure plasma process. The coatings were compared to standard wet chemical collagen thin films using microscopy, surface energy, infra-red spectroscopy, electrophoresis, and cell culture techniques. Thin films were also deposited on gold electrodes using both coating methods and their structural and barrier properties probed using cyclic voltammetry. While the wet chemical technique produced a thicker deposit, both films appear equivalent in terms of coverage, porosity, structure, and chemistry. Significantly, the cold plasma method preserves both the primary and secondary structure of the protein and this results in high biocompatibility and cell activity that is at least equivalent to the standard wet chemical technique. The significance of these results is discussed in relation to the benefits of a single step plasma coating in comparison to the traditional multi-step aseptic coating technique. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Plasma Technology in Bioscience and Biomedicine)
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12 pages, 4097 KiB  
Article
Impact of Microwave Plasma Torch on the Yeast Candida glabrata
by Kristína Trebulová, František Krčma, Zdenka Kozáková and Petra Matoušková
Appl. Sci. 2020, 10(16), 5538; https://doi.org/10.3390/app10165538 - 11 Aug 2020
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2275
Abstract
Recently, various cold plasma sources have been tested for their bactericidal and fungicidal effects with respect to their application in medicine and agriculture. The purpose of this work is to study the effects of a 2.45 GHz microwave generated plasma torch on a [...] Read more.
Recently, various cold plasma sources have been tested for their bactericidal and fungicidal effects with respect to their application in medicine and agriculture. The purpose of this work is to study the effects of a 2.45 GHz microwave generated plasma torch on a model yeast example Candida glabrata. The microwave plasma was generated by a surfatron resonator, and pure argon at a constant flow rate of 5 Slm was used as a working gas. Thanks to a high number of active particles generated in low-temperature plasma, this type of plasma has become highly popular, especially thanks to its bactericidal effects. However, its antimycotic effects and mechanisms of fungal inactivation are still not fully understood. Therefore, this study focuses on the antifungal effects of the microwave discharge on Candida glabrata. The main focus is on the measurement and evaluation of changes in inactivation effects caused by varying initial concentration of Candida glabrata cells, applied microwave power and exposure time. The discharge was applied on freshly inoculated colonies of Candida glabrata spread on the agar plates and its inhibitory effects were observed in the form of inhibition zones formed after the subsequent cultivation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Plasma Technology in Bioscience and Biomedicine)
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15 pages, 2067 KiB  
Article
The Hyaluronan Pericellular Coat and Cold Atmospheric Plasma Treatment of Cells
by Claudia Bergemann, Anna-Christin Waldner, Steffen Emmert and J. Barbara Nebe
Appl. Sci. 2020, 10(15), 5024; https://doi.org/10.3390/app10155024 - 22 Jul 2020
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1952
Abstract
In different tumors, high amounts of hyaluronan (HA) are correlated with tumor progression. Therefore, new tumor therapy strategies are targeting HA production and degradation. In plasma medicine research, antiproliferative and apoptosis-inducing effects on tumor cells were observed using cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) or [...] Read more.
In different tumors, high amounts of hyaluronan (HA) are correlated with tumor progression. Therefore, new tumor therapy strategies are targeting HA production and degradation. In plasma medicine research, antiproliferative and apoptosis-inducing effects on tumor cells were observed using cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) or plasma-activated media (PAM). Until now, the influence of PAM on the HA pericellular coat has not been the focus of research. PAM was generated by argon-plasma treatment of Dulbecco’s modified Eagle’s Medium via the kINPen®09 plasma jet. The HA expression on PAM-treated HaCaT cells was determined by flow cytometry and confocal laser scanning microscopy. Changes in the adhesion behavior of vital cells in PAM were observed by impedance measurement using the xCELLigence system. We found that PAM treatment impaired the HA pericellular coat of HaCaT cells. The time-dependent adhesion was impressively diminished. However, a disturbed HA coat alone was not the reason for the inhibition of cell adhesion because cells enzymatically treated with HAdase did not lose their adhesion capacity completely. Here, we showed for the first time that the plasma-activated medium (PAM) was able to influence the HA pericellular coat. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Plasma Technology in Bioscience and Biomedicine)
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13 pages, 1074 KiB  
Article
The Combination of Plasma-Processed Air (PPA) and Plasma-Treated Water (PTW) Causes Synergistic Inactivation of Candida albicans SC5314
by Uta Schnabel, Kateryna Yarova, Björn Zessin, Jörg Stachowiak and Jörg Ehlbeck
Appl. Sci. 2020, 10(9), 3303; https://doi.org/10.3390/app10093303 - 09 May 2020
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 2703
Abstract
Microwave-induced plasma was used for the generation of plasma-processed air (PPA) and plasma-treated water (PTW). By this way, the plasma was able to functionalize the compressed air and the used water to antimicrobial effective agents. Their fungicidal effects by single and combined application [...] Read more.
Microwave-induced plasma was used for the generation of plasma-processed air (PPA) and plasma-treated water (PTW). By this way, the plasma was able to functionalize the compressed air and the used water to antimicrobial effective agents. Their fungicidal effects by single and combined application were investigated on Candida albicans strain SC5314. The monoculture of C. albicans was cultivated on specimens with polymeric surface structures (PE-stripes). The additive as well as the synergistic fungicidal potential of PPA and PTW was investigated by different process windows of plasma exposure time (5–50 s) and sample treatment time with PPA/PTW (1–5 min). For a single PTW or PPA treatment, an increase in the reduction factor with the indicated treatment time was observed (maximum reduction factor of 1.1 and 1.6, respectively). In comparison, the combined application of PTW and then PPA resulted in antagonistic, additive and synergistic effects, depending on the combination. An application of the synergistically acting processes of PTW for cleaning and PPA for drying can be an innovative alternative to the sanitary processes currently used in production plants. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Plasma Technology in Bioscience and Biomedicine)
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15 pages, 3072 KiB  
Article
Characterization of Antimicrobial Effects of Plasma-Treated Water (PTW) Produced by Microwave-Induced Plasma (MidiPLexc) on Pseudomonas fluorescens Biofilms
by Oliver Handorf, Viktoria Isabella Pauker, Uta Schnabel, Thomas Weihe, Eric Freund, Sander Bekeschus, Katharina Riedel and Jörg Ehlbeck
Appl. Sci. 2020, 10(9), 3118; https://doi.org/10.3390/app10093118 - 29 Apr 2020
Cited by 17 | Viewed by 2736
Abstract
For the decontamination of surfaces in the food production industry, plasma-generated compounds such as plasma-treated water or plasma-processed air offer many promising possibilities for future applications. Therefore, the antimicrobial effect of water treated with microwave-induced plasma (MidiPLexc) on Pseudomonas fluorescens biofilms was investigated. [...] Read more.
For the decontamination of surfaces in the food production industry, plasma-generated compounds such as plasma-treated water or plasma-processed air offer many promising possibilities for future applications. Therefore, the antimicrobial effect of water treated with microwave-induced plasma (MidiPLexc) on Pseudomonas fluorescens biofilms was investigated. A total of 10 mL deionized water was treated with the MidiPLexc plasma source for 100, 300 and 900 s (pretreatment time) and the bacterial biofilms were exposed to the plasma-treated water for 1, 3 and 5 min (post-treatment time). To investigate the influence of plasma-treated water on P. fluorescens biofilms, microbiological assays (colony-forming units, fluorescence and XTT assay) and imaging techniques (fluorescence microscopy, confocal laser scanning microscopy, and atomic force microscopy) were used. The colony-forming units showed a maximum reduction of 6 log10 by using 300 s pretreated plasma water for 5 min. Additionally, a maximum reduction of 81% for the viability of the cells and a 92% reduction in the metabolic activity of the cells were achieved by using 900 s pretreated plasma water for 5 min. The microscopic images showed evident microbial inactivation within the biofilm even at the shortest pretreatment (100 s) and post-treatment (1 min) times. Moreover, reduction of the biofilm thickness and increased cluster formation within the biofilm was detected. Morphologically, the fusion of cell walls into a uniform dense cell mass was detectable. The findings correlated with a decrease in the pH value of the plasma-treated water, which forms the basis for the chemically active components of plasma-treated water and its antimicrobial effects. These results provide valuable insights into the mechanisms of inactivation of biofilms by plasma-generated compounds such as plasma-treated water and thus allow for further parameter adjustment for applications in food industry. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Plasma Technology in Bioscience and Biomedicine)
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18 pages, 2958 KiB  
Article
GSH Modification as a Marker for Plasma Source and Biological Response Comparison to Plasma Treatment
by Pietro Ranieri, Hager Mohamed, Brayden Myers, Leah Dobossy, Keely Beyries, Duncan Trosan, Fred C. Krebs, Vandana Miller and Katharina Stapelmann
Appl. Sci. 2020, 10(6), 2025; https://doi.org/10.3390/app10062025 - 17 Mar 2020
Cited by 17 | Viewed by 3353
Abstract
This study investigated the use of glutathione as a marker to establish a correlation between plasma parameters and the resultant liquid chemistry from two distinct sources to predefined biological outcomes. Two different plasma sources were operated at parameters that resulted in similar biological [...] Read more.
This study investigated the use of glutathione as a marker to establish a correlation between plasma parameters and the resultant liquid chemistry from two distinct sources to predefined biological outcomes. Two different plasma sources were operated at parameters that resulted in similar biological responses: cell viability, mitochondrial activity, and the cell surface display of calreticulin. Specific glutathione modifications appeared to be associated with biological responses elicited by plasma. These modifications were more pronounced with increased treatment time for the European Cooperation in Science and Technology Reference Microplasma Jet (COST-Jet) and increased frequency for the dielectric barrier discharge and were correlated with more potent biological responses. No correlations were found when cells or glutathione were exposed to exogenously added long-lived species alone. This implied that short-lived species and other plasma components were required for the induction of cellular responses, as well as glutathione modifications. These results showed that comparisons of medical plasma sources could not rely on measurements of long-lived chemical species; rather, modifications of biomolecules (such as glutathione) might be better predictors of cellular responses to plasma exposure. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Plasma Technology in Bioscience and Biomedicine)
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