Antimicrobial effects of microwave-induced plasma torch (MiniMIP) treatment on Candida albicans biofilms |
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| Authors: | Oliver Handorf Uta Schnabel André Bösel Thomas Weihe Sander Bekeschus Alexander Christian Graf Katharina Riedel Jörg Ehlbeck |
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| Institution: | 1. Leibniz Institute for Plasma Science and Technology (INP), Felix-Hausdorff-Str. 2, 17489 Greifswald, Germany;2. Institute of Microbial Physiology and Molecular Biology, University of Greifswald, Felix-Hausdorff-Str. 8, 17489 Greifswald, Germany |
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| Abstract: | The susceptibility of Candida albicans biofilms to a non-thermal plasma treatment has been investigated in terms of growth, survival and cell viability by a series of in vitro experiments. For different time periods, the C. albicans strain SC5314 was treated with a microwave-induced plasma torch (MiniMIP). The MiniMIP treatment had a strong effect (reduction factor (RF) = 2.97 after 50 s treatment) at a distance of 3 cm between the nozzle and the superior regions of the biofilms. In addition, a viability reduction of 77% after a 20 s plasma treatment and a metabolism reduction of 90% after a 40 s plasma treatment time were observed for C. albicans. After such a treatment, the biofilms revealed an altered morphology of their cells by atomic force microscopy (AFM). Additionally, fluorescence microscopy and confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) analyses of plasma-treated biofilms showed that an inactivation of cells mainly appeared on the bottom side of the biofilms. Thus, the plasma inactivation of the overgrown surface reveals a new possibility to combat biofilms. |
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