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Plasma-activated hydrogels have promising application prospects in the field of transdermal penetration therapy, such as subcutaneous tumours, due to their long-lasting, slow-release properties and ability to be easily applied to skin. In this study, surface air plasma was used to prepare plasma-activated Aristoflex AVC hydrogel (PAH) and plasma-activated water (PAW) by irradiation. The characteristics of PAH and PAW were further studied in terms of reactive oxygen species (ROS) storage, transdermal permeation, and in vitro anticancer effects in an artificial skin model. The experimental results showed that PAH had a prolonged storage time of ROS and more transdermal permeation of ROS through artificial skin in Franz diffusion cell after 30 h compared to PAW, which means PAH could be superior to PAW for long-term applications on the skin surface. The in vitro anticancer effects of PAH in an artificial skin model were also better than those of PAW, reducing the viability of A375 cells without causing damage to HaCaT cells. Our study shows that PAH is superior to PAW in body-surface coating applications and can be used for subcutaneous anticancer applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Enhancing virus multiplication could assist in the rapid production of vaccines against viral diseases. Cold atmospheric plasma (CAP), a physical approach relying on reactive oxygen species to achieve the desirable cellular outcome, was shown to be effective in enhancing virus propagation, where bovine rhinotrachieitis virus and Madin-Darby Bovine Kidney cells were used as the modeling virus and cell line, respectively. CAP was shown to create synergies with virus infection in arresting host cells at the G2/M stage, decreasing cell membrane potential, increasing intracellular calcium level, and inducing selective autophagy. In addition, CAP was demonstrated to suppress virus-triggered immunogenic signaling as evaluated by IRF7 expression. We presented evidences on CAP-triggered maximization of host resources toward virus multiplication that is advantageous for viral vaccine production, and opened a novel regime for applying CAP in the sector of medical care and health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microbial food contamination can be caused by bacteria, viruses or protozoa at different stages during food processing and storage. The resulting foodborne disease in humans are common and can be severe, especially in children, the elderly or immunocompromised persons. Several viruses have been recognised to account for a large proportion of foodborne illnesses, including human norovirus (HNoV) and hepatitis A virus (HAV). Disinfection methods are needed in all areas of the food processing environment and cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) has emerged as a new technology with antimicrobial activity. CAP is generated by applying an electric field to a gas causing the formation of many active species including reactive oxygen and nitrogen species. This review evaluates the available data on CAP as a potential use for the inactivation of foodborne viruses, including studies using surrogates. We demonstrate the different types of CAP delivery for virus inactivation, including direct and indirect treatments using dielectric barrier discharges (DBD), atmospheric pressure plasma jets (APPJ) and plasma-activated water (PAW). The effect of particular CAP species and the resulting mode of action is also discussed. CAP can successfully inactivate foodborne viruses and its potential as a non-toxic, residue-free sanitation system for fresh foods makes it highly attractive to the industry. However, the lack of standard devices or protocols makes it difficult to meaningfully translate findings. Thus, we propose future research steps that are necessary for upscaling, dose standardisation and following translation to the industry in the near future. • Cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) can successfully inactivate foodborne viruses. • Reactive oxygen and nitrogen species are important for viral inactivation. • Non-toxic, residue-free sanitation system is highly attractive to the food industry. • Standardisation of devices and treatment protocols is necessary for upscaling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]