Influence of Nonthermal Atmospheric Plasma-Activated Water on the Structural, Optical, and Biological Properties of <i>Aspergillus brasiliensis</i> Spores
Plasma-activated water (PAW) has emerged as a platform for sterilizing fungal pathogens. In this study, we investigated the influence of PAW on black melanized spores of <i>Aspergillus brasiliensis</i> to explore the mechanism of fungal spore inactivation. PAW was prepared by activating...
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MDPI AG
2020-09-01
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| author | Se Hoon Ki Hyeongjin Noh Geum Ran Ahn Seong Hwan Kim Nagendra K. Kaushik Eun Ha Choi Geon Joon Lee |
| author_facet | Se Hoon Ki Hyeongjin Noh Geum Ran Ahn Seong Hwan Kim Nagendra K. Kaushik Eun Ha Choi Geon Joon Lee |
| author_sort | Se Hoon Ki |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Plasma-activated water (PAW) has emerged as a platform for sterilizing fungal pathogens. In this study, we investigated the influence of PAW on black melanized spores of <i>Aspergillus brasiliensis</i> to explore the mechanism of fungal spore inactivation. PAW was prepared by activating deionized water with a nonthermal atmospheric pressure air plasma jet (soft plasma jet). The concentrations of <inline-formula><math display="inline"><semantics><mrow><msub><mi>H</mi><mn>2</mn></msub><msub><mi>O</mi><mn>2</mn></msub></mrow></semantics></math></inline-formula> and <inline-formula><math display="inline"><semantics><mrow><mi>N</mi><msub><mi>O</mi><mi>x</mi></msub></mrow></semantics></math></inline-formula> in the PAW treated by the soft plasma jet for 3 min were 50 <inline-formula><math display="inline"><semantics><mrow><mrow><mi mathvariant="sans-serif">μ</mi><mi mathvariant="normal">M</mi></mrow></mrow></semantics></math></inline-formula> and 1.8 <inline-formula><math display="inline"><semantics><mrow><mi>mM</mi></mrow></semantics></math></inline-formula>, respectively, and the pH of the PAW was 3.10. The reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS) in the PAW increased with longer plasma activation time. After being treated for 30 min in the PAW with a plasma activation time of 3 min, the spore viability dramatically dropped to 15%. The viabilities of 0.3% <inline-formula><math display="inline"><semantics><mrow><msub><mi>H</mi><mn>2</mn></msub><msub><mi>O</mi><mn>2</mn></msub></mrow></semantics></math></inline-formula>- and 0.3% <inline-formula><math display="inline"><semantics><mrow><mi>H</mi><mi>N</mi><msub><mi>O</mi><mn>3</mn></msub></mrow></semantics></math></inline-formula>-treated spores were 22% and 42%, respectively. The breakage of the spore cell wall by the PAW was revealed in scanning electron microscope images and flow cytometry measurements. Disruption of cell wall integrity provides a path for intracellular components to escape and RONS of the PAW can attack intracellular components directly. Degradation of high molecular genomic DNA was also observed by agarose gel electrophoresis. These results suggest that long-lived reactive species generated in the PAW play an important role in the inactivation of melanized fungal spores. Consequently, PAW produced by a soft plasma jet can be applied to sterilize bioprotective walled fungal spores in a relatively large volume. |
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| spelling | doaj.art-1c311da1c3cd45d49e86783cfc062b0a2023-11-20T13:34:50ZengMDPI AGApplied Sciences2076-34172020-09-011018637810.3390/app10186378Influence of Nonthermal Atmospheric Plasma-Activated Water on the Structural, Optical, and Biological Properties of <i>Aspergillus brasiliensis</i> SporesSe Hoon Ki0Hyeongjin Noh1Geum Ran Ahn2Seong Hwan Kim3Nagendra K. Kaushik4Eun Ha Choi5Geon Joon Lee6Department of Electrical and Biological Physics/Plasma Bioscience Research Center, Kwangwoon University, Seoul 01897, KoreaDepartment of Microbiology and Institute of Biodiversity, Dankook University, Cheonan 31116, KoreaDepartment of Microbiology and Institute of Biodiversity, Dankook University, Cheonan 31116, KoreaDepartment of Microbiology and Institute of Biodiversity, Dankook University, Cheonan 31116, KoreaDepartment of Electrical and Biological Physics/Plasma Bioscience Research Center, Kwangwoon University, Seoul 01897, KoreaDepartment of Electrical and Biological Physics/Plasma Bioscience Research Center, Kwangwoon University, Seoul 01897, KoreaDepartment of Electrical and Biological Physics/Plasma Bioscience Research Center, Kwangwoon University, Seoul 01897, KoreaPlasma-activated water (PAW) has emerged as a platform for sterilizing fungal pathogens. In this study, we investigated the influence of PAW on black melanized spores of <i>Aspergillus brasiliensis</i> to explore the mechanism of fungal spore inactivation. PAW was prepared by activating deionized water with a nonthermal atmospheric pressure air plasma jet (soft plasma jet). The concentrations of <inline-formula><math display="inline"><semantics><mrow><msub><mi>H</mi><mn>2</mn></msub><msub><mi>O</mi><mn>2</mn></msub></mrow></semantics></math></inline-formula> and <inline-formula><math display="inline"><semantics><mrow><mi>N</mi><msub><mi>O</mi><mi>x</mi></msub></mrow></semantics></math></inline-formula> in the PAW treated by the soft plasma jet for 3 min were 50 <inline-formula><math display="inline"><semantics><mrow><mrow><mi mathvariant="sans-serif">μ</mi><mi mathvariant="normal">M</mi></mrow></mrow></semantics></math></inline-formula> and 1.8 <inline-formula><math display="inline"><semantics><mrow><mi>mM</mi></mrow></semantics></math></inline-formula>, respectively, and the pH of the PAW was 3.10. The reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS) in the PAW increased with longer plasma activation time. After being treated for 30 min in the PAW with a plasma activation time of 3 min, the spore viability dramatically dropped to 15%. The viabilities of 0.3% <inline-formula><math display="inline"><semantics><mrow><msub><mi>H</mi><mn>2</mn></msub><msub><mi>O</mi><mn>2</mn></msub></mrow></semantics></math></inline-formula>- and 0.3% <inline-formula><math display="inline"><semantics><mrow><mi>H</mi><mi>N</mi><msub><mi>O</mi><mn>3</mn></msub></mrow></semantics></math></inline-formula>-treated spores were 22% and 42%, respectively. The breakage of the spore cell wall by the PAW was revealed in scanning electron microscope images and flow cytometry measurements. Disruption of cell wall integrity provides a path for intracellular components to escape and RONS of the PAW can attack intracellular components directly. Degradation of high molecular genomic DNA was also observed by agarose gel electrophoresis. These results suggest that long-lived reactive species generated in the PAW play an important role in the inactivation of melanized fungal spores. Consequently, PAW produced by a soft plasma jet can be applied to sterilize bioprotective walled fungal spores in a relatively large volume.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/10/18/6378<i>Aspergillus brasiliensis</i>plasma-activated watercell wall integrityDNA degradationfungal spore inactivationreactive oxygen species |
| spellingShingle | Se Hoon Ki Hyeongjin Noh Geum Ran Ahn Seong Hwan Kim Nagendra K. Kaushik Eun Ha Choi Geon Joon Lee Influence of Nonthermal Atmospheric Plasma-Activated Water on the Structural, Optical, and Biological Properties of <i>Aspergillus brasiliensis</i> Spores Applied Sciences <i>Aspergillus brasiliensis</i> plasma-activated water cell wall integrity DNA degradation fungal spore inactivation reactive oxygen species |
| title | Influence of Nonthermal Atmospheric Plasma-Activated Water on the Structural, Optical, and Biological Properties of <i>Aspergillus brasiliensis</i> Spores |
| title_full | Influence of Nonthermal Atmospheric Plasma-Activated Water on the Structural, Optical, and Biological Properties of <i>Aspergillus brasiliensis</i> Spores |
| title_fullStr | Influence of Nonthermal Atmospheric Plasma-Activated Water on the Structural, Optical, and Biological Properties of <i>Aspergillus brasiliensis</i> Spores |
| title_full_unstemmed | Influence of Nonthermal Atmospheric Plasma-Activated Water on the Structural, Optical, and Biological Properties of <i>Aspergillus brasiliensis</i> Spores |
| title_short | Influence of Nonthermal Atmospheric Plasma-Activated Water on the Structural, Optical, and Biological Properties of <i>Aspergillus brasiliensis</i> Spores |
| title_sort | influence of nonthermal atmospheric plasma activated water on the structural optical and biological properties of i aspergillus brasiliensis i spores |
| topic | <i>Aspergillus brasiliensis</i> plasma-activated water cell wall integrity DNA degradation fungal spore inactivation reactive oxygen species |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/10/18/6378 |
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