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Four different cold plasma sources were directly applied onto a 24h inoculum of Candida glabrata inoculated on agar plates, within the limits of in vitro experiment. Their effects were compared and evaluated with respect to the size and stability of the inhibition zones formed in the posttreatment cultivation. The results prove significant inhibitory cold atmospheric‐pressure plasma effects on the yeast C. glabrata. The overall inhibitory effects are directly proportional to the treatment time, the applied power, and the overall functioning of the plasma source and indirectly proportional to the initial cell concentration, although this factor was less significant compared to the other examined factors. The unipolar microwave torch was found to be the most effective in the inhibition of C. glabrata. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Featured Application: A cold gaseous plasma torch generated in argon at low powers and atmospheric pressure is applicable in medicinal treatment where it could significantly decrease microbial skin or tissue contamination in a short time and with low operating costs. 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. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]