Biomedical and industrial applications of atmospheric pressure non-equilibrium plasmas

This dissertation will be focused on the characterization of an atmospheric pressure plasma jet source with an application oriented diagnostic approach and the description of processes supported by this plasma source. The plasma source investigated is a single electrode plasma jet. Schlieren images, optical emission spectra, temperature and heat flux profiles are analyzed to deeply investigate the fluid dynamic, the chemical composition and the thermal output of the plasma generated with a nanosecond-pulsed high voltage generator. The maximum temperature measured is about 45 °C and values close to the room temperature are reached 10 mm down the source outlet, ensuring the possibility to use the plasma jet for the treatment of thermosensitive materials, such as, for example, biological substrate or polymers. Electrospinning of polymeric solution allows the production of nanofibrous non-woven mats and the plasma pre-treatment of the solutions leads to the realization of defect free nanofibers. The use of the plasma jet allows the electrospinnability of a non-spinnable poly(L-lactic acid) (PLLA) solution, suitable for the production of biological scaffold for the wound dressing

Oxidation of lactate to pyruvate mediates the cytotoxic potential of physical plasma-treated saline solutions in ovarian cancer

Epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) is the most common type of gynecological tumor, presenting poor prognosis at diagnosis and with recurrences being frequently observed. Reactive species generated by physical plasma and transferred into liquids have shown promising results in cancer therapy. Recently, Ringer's lactate solution was exposed to plasma showing selective anticancer activity on EOC cells. In this work, we compared the effect of plasma treatment, using the kINPen plasma jet, on Ringer's saline and Ringer's lactate solution. These two plasma-treated liquids were analyzed chemically by quantifying reactive species and the extent of lactate oxidation. The biological efficiency of the plasma-treated liquids was explored in EOC cells. The results show that lactate is affected by plasma treatment, displaying a reduction of cytotoxic potential.This publication is based upon work from COST Action Action CA20114 PlasTHER “Therapeutical Applications of Cold Plasmas,” supported by COST. The authors also acknowledge MINECO for PID2019‐103892RB‐I00/AEI/ 12 of 14 | BUCCI ET AL .16128869, 0, Downloaded from https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ppap.202300093 by Readcube (Labtiva Inc.), Wiley Online Library on [13/11/2023]. See the Terms and Conditions (https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/terms-and-conditions) on Wiley Online Library for rules of use; OA articles are governed by the applicable Creative Commons License 10.13039/501100011033 project and for PLEC2022‐ 009277/MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 funded by UE through NextGenerationEU/PRTR. The authors belong to SGR2017‐1165 (Cristina Canal, Miguel Mateu‐Sanz, and Francesco Tampieri) and acknowledge Generalitat de Catalunya for the ICREA Academia Award for Excellence in Research of Cristina Canal.Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version

Synthesis of Copper-Based Nanostructures in Liquid Environments by Means of a Non-equilibrium Atmospheric Pressure Nanopulsed Plasma Jet

The influence of the liquid composition on the chemical and morphological properties of copper-based nanostructures synthesized by a non-equilibrium atmospheric plasma treatment is investigated and discussed. The synthesis approach is simple and environmentally friendly, employs a non-equilibrium nanopulsed atmospheric pressure plasma jet as a contactless cathode and a Cu foil as immersed anode. The process was studied using four distinct electrolyte solutions composed of distilled water and either NaCl + NaOH, NaCl only or NaOH only at two different concentrations, without the addition of any copper salts. CuO crystalline structures with limited impurities (e.g. Cu and Cu(OH)2phases) were produced from NaCl + NaOH containing solutions, mainly CuO and CuCl2structures were synthesized in the electrolyte solution containing only NaCl and no synthesis occurred in solutions containing only NaOH. Both aggregated and dispersed nanostructures were produced in the NaCl + NaOH and NaCl containing solutions. Reaction pathways leading to the formation of the nanostructures are proposed and discussed

Plasma-activated Ringer's Lactate Solution Displays a Selective Cytotoxic Effect on Ovarian Cancer Cells

Epithelial Ovarian Cancer (EOC) is one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths among women and is characterized by the diffusion of nodules or plaques from the ovary to the peritoneal surfaces. Conventional therapeutic options cannot eradicate the disease and show low efficacy against resistant tumor subclones. The treatment of liquids via cold atmospheric pressure plasma enables the production of plasma-activated liquids (PALs) containing reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS) with selective anticancer activity. Thus, the delivery of RONS to cancer tissues by intraperitoneal washing with PALs might be an innovative strategy for the treatment of EOC. In this work, plasma-activated Ringer's Lactate solution (PA-RL) was produced by exposing a liquid substrate to a multiwire plasma source. Subsequently, PA-RL dilutions are used for the treatment of EOC, non-cancer and fibroblast cell lines, revealing a selectivity of PA-RL, which induces a significantly higher cytotoxic effect in EOC with respect to non-cancer cells

Effect of cold plasma generated with different gas mixtures on safety, quality and nutritional aspects of fresh sea bream fillets

Cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) is a non-thermal technology, successfully used to decontaminate and extend the shelf-life of various foods. However, since CAP is highly oxidative, it can cause quality deterioration in sensitive matrices, such as fish products. This research aimed to evaluate the effect of CAP treatment with a surface dielectric barrier discharge (SDBD) with different gas mixtures (80% Ar/20% O2, or 80% N2/20% O2) on the decontamination of inoculated pathogens (E.coli and L.innocua; log 4 CFU/g inoculum) and endogenous spoilage microbiota and on the main quality indices of seabream (Spaurus aurata) fillets. For selected appropriate treatments, the impact on the nutritional value of the products was investigated through in vitro digestion, bioaccessibility of fatty acids and the degree of protein hydrolysis. The use of CAP resulted in a decrease in the bacterial load in the fresh sea bream fillets up to 1 log CFU/g obtained with Ar/O2 gas mixture for 20 min, affected by the treatment duration, but not by the gas mixture. Although a slight increase in lipid oxidation was observed (from 0.5 mg MDA/kg to a maximum of 4 mg MDA/kg), the digestibility of the products was not affected. Industrial relevance From an industrial point of view, increasing shelf-life of perishable products such as fish fillets with an environmentally friendly and non-thermal technology could represent a great advantage; however, maintaining quality is of paramount importance for the industrial use of this novel processing technology. The results of the present study show negligible effects on the nutritional quality of seabream fillets, which encourages further research.publishedVersio

White paper on the future of plasma science and technology in plastics and textiles

International audienceThis white paper considers the future of plasma science and technology related to the manufacturing and modifications of plastics and textiles, summarizing existing efforts and the current state-of-art for major topics related to plasma processing techniques. It draws on the frontier of plasma technologies in order to see beyond and identify the grand challenges which we face in the following 5–10 years. To progress and move the frontier forward, the paper highlights the major enabling technologies and topics related to the design of surfaces, coatings and materials with nonequilibrium plasmas. The aim is to progress the field of plastics and textile production using advanced plasma processing as the key enabling technology which is environmentally friendly, cost-efficient, and offers high-speed processing