Abstract
Using the Taguchi method to narrow experimental parameters, the antimicrobial efficiency of a cold atmospheric plasma jet (CAPJ) treatment was investigated. An L9 array with four parameters of CAPJ treatments, including the application voltage, CAPJ-sample distance, argon (Ar) gas flow rate, and CAPJ treatment time, were applied to examine the antimicrobial activity against Escherichia coli (E. coli). CAPJ treatment time was found to be the most influential parameter in its antimicrobial ability by evaluation of signal to noise ratios and analysis of variance. 100% bactericidal activity was achieved under the optimal bactericidal activity parameters including the application voltage of 8.5 kV, CAPJ-sample distance of 10 mm, Ar gas flow rate of 500 sccm, and CAPJ treatment time of 300 s, which confirms the efficacy of the Taguchi method in this design. In terms of the mechanism of CAPJ’s antimicrobial ability, the intensity of hydroxyl radical produced by CAPJ positively correlated to its antimicrobial efficiency. The CAPJ antimicrobial efficiency was further evaluated by both DNA double-strand breaks analysis and scanning electron microscopy examination of CAPJ treated bacteria. CAPJ destroyed the cell wall of E. coli and further damaged its DNA structure, thus leading to successful killing of bacteria. This study suggests that optimal conditions of CPAJ can provide effective antimicrobial activity and may be grounds for a novel approach for eradicating bacterial infections.
Highlights
Cold, or non-thermal, atmospheric-pressure plasma jets (CAPJ) have gained attention in biomedical applications [1,2,3,4,5,6] due to unique characteristics, comprising of a complex plasma chemistry without the need for elevated gas temperatures as required for traditional thermal plasma [7,8]
The reactive oxygen species (ROS) produced by CAPJ plays a significant role in promising inactivation of bacteria [9,10], which can be used in developing antimicrobial treatments for infectious diseases or in sterilization of reusable thermal sensitive medical devices to prevent the outbreak of antibiotic-resistant bacteria [11]
E. coli is often used as an indicator of hygiene and safety in food products [12], and it is commonly found in community and hospital-acquired infections
Summary
Non-thermal, atmospheric-pressure plasma jets (CAPJ) have gained attention in biomedical applications [1,2,3,4,5,6] due to unique characteristics, comprising of a complex plasma chemistry without the need for elevated gas temperatures as required for traditional thermal plasma [7,8]. The ROS produced by CAPJ plays a significant role in promising inactivation of bacteria [9,10], which can be used in developing antimicrobial treatments for infectious diseases or in sterilization of reusable thermal sensitive medical devices to prevent the outbreak of antibiotic-resistant bacteria [11]. These properties have led to extensive use of CAPJ in material processing and biomedical applications, consistent use of CAPJ without risks remains difficult. The aim of this work is to develop the interventions by CAPJ treatment to prevent E. coli-induced diseases
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