Aim: The main objective of the study was to develop and validate a model for the growth of Aspergillus brasiliensis on surfaces, specifically on agar culture medium. An additional aim was to determine conditions for complete growth inhibition of this micromycete using two different nonthermal plasma (NTP) sources.
Methods And Results: The developed model uses two key parameters, namely the growth rate and growth delay, which depend on the cultivation temperature and the amount of inoculum.
Antibiotic resistance (ATBR) is increasing every year as the overuse of antibiotics (ATBs) and the lack of newly emerging antimicrobial agents lead to an efficient pathogen escape from ATBs action. This trend is alarming and the World Health Organization warned in 2021 that ATBR could become the leading cause of death worldwide by 2050. The development of novel ATBs is not fast enough considering the situation, and alternative strategies are therefore urgently required.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFRecently, much attention has been paid to the use of low-temperature plasmas and plasma-activated water (PAW) in various areas of biological research. In addition to its use in medicine, especially for low-temperature disinfection and sterilization, a number of works using plasma in various fields of agriculture have already appeared. While direct plasma action involves the effects of many highly reactive species with short lifetimes, the use of PAW involves the action of only long-lived particles.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFA non-thermal plasma (NTP) is a promising tool against the development of bacterial, viral, and fungal diseases. The recently revealed development of microbial resistance to traditional drugs has increased interest in the use of NTPs. We have studied and compared the physical and microbicidal properties of two types of NTP sources based on a cometary discharge in the point-to-point electrode configuration and a corona discharge in the point-to-ring electrode configuration.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCereals, an important food for humans and animals, may carry microbial contamination undesirable to the consumer or to the next generation of plants. Currently, non-thermal plasma (NTP) is often considered a new and safe microbicidal agent without or with very low adverse side effects. NTP is a partially or fully ionized gas at room temperature, typically generated by various electric discharges and rich in reactive particles.
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