Abstract
The present study challenges the in vivo assessment of cold atmospheric pressure plasma (CAPP) technology on the bioactive activity (antioxidant/antiaging and antimicrobial potential) of Spirulina powder, using Caenorhabditis elegans as an animal model. Surface microdischarge cold atmospheric pressure plasma (SMD-CAPP) treatment was 3.3 W discharge power for 7 min. C. elegans lifespan and egg laying were used as indicators of antioxidant/antiaging potential of Spirulina (1 mg/mL), when grown with Spirulina CP-treated [E_SCP] and untreated [E_S], compared with a control [E_0] (non-supplemented with Spirulina). According to our results, under both Spirulina supplemented media [E_SCP and E_S] and for the first 17 days, nematodes experienced an increase in lifespan but without significant differences (p > 0.05) between control and Spirulina CP-treated. Regarding the in vivo assay of the antimicrobial potential of Spirulina against Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium (infected worms), no significant differences (p > 0.05) were found between the three exposure scenarios (control [S_0]; Spirulina supplemented media [S_S]; CP-treated Spirulina supplemented media [S_SCP]). According to present results, CAPP-treatment do not influence negatively the lifespan of C. elegans but a reduction in the Spirulina antiaging potential was found. No in vivo modifications in antimicrobial activity seem to be linked to CAPP-processed Spirulina.
Highlights
In recent years, there has been a steady growth of scientific interest in blue green microalgae Arthospira platensis, hereafter referred to as Spirulina, as a sustainable source of proteins and other high-value compounds with physiological properties (Ozdemir et al, 2004; Khan et al, 2005, 2006; Nuhu, 2013)
Radio-frequency, microwaves, thermal energy, electric and magnetic fields [plasma jet, surface microdischarge plasma (SMD), dielectric barrier discharge plasma (DBD)] are used as energy sources for gas ignition, with the generated plasma being comprised by ions, free electrons, radicals, and electromagnetic radiation (Tolouie et al, 2018)
In the case of the nematode population exposed to Spirulina [E_S] and [E_SCP], lower nematode death rates per time interval compared to control samples appear, probably due to a protective antiaging effect due to Spirulina exposure, regardless of whether the Spirulina had been treated with cold plasma [E_SCP] or not [E_S]
Summary
There has been a steady growth of scientific interest in blue green microalgae Arthospira platensis, hereafter referred to as Spirulina, as a sustainable source of proteins and other high-value compounds with physiological properties (Ozdemir et al, 2004; Khan et al, 2005, 2006; Nuhu, 2013). Recent trends are moving toward more efficient, environmentally friendly, and very rapid non-thermal treatments (ranging from a few seconds to a few minutes), implemented in the food and pharmaceutical industries to inactivate pathogenic bacteria, while preserving the techno-functional product properties intact (flavor, color, texture, solubility) as well as the beneficial bioactive potential in the end product Among these novel processes, cold plasma (CP) is emerging as a non-thermal technology, with huge versatility to treat solid, liquid and powder-based matrices, proving effective in the inactivation of spores, viruses, mycotoxins and prions (Elmoualij et al, 2012; ten Bosch et al, 2017; Beyrer et al, 2020; Pina-Pérez et al, 2020). The continuous generation of electrical microdischarges is the most efficient method of choice to generate cold plasma (temperature 30–40◦C) (Pina-Pérez et al, 2020)
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