Efficient inactivation of the fungal pathogen Candida albicans using plasma-activated saline activated with gases discharged by gliding arc

Abstract Fungal infections pose a significant threat to public health, and Candida albicans is the most common fungal pathogen in humans, causing severe infections and diseases. Plasma-activated saline (PAS) exhibits potent inactivation effects against various pathogenic bacteria, however, the inactivation effects on fungi have been less studied. In this study, the PAS was prepared by introducing the gases discharged by a gliding arc into a saline solution. Firstly, the inactivation effects on C. albicans of the PAS activated by discharged gases with different oxygen concentrations were compared, and the PAS activated by discharged gases with a 50% oxygen concentration exhibited the strongest inactivation effects. The long-lived species H 2 O 2 , NO 2 − , and NO 3 − , and the short-lived species • OH, 1 O 2 , and O 2 NOO − were detected in the PAS, and the analysis of scavengers demonstrated that the short-lived species played key roles in inactivation of C. albicans . Treatment with PAS caused evident shrinkage of the fungal cell surface, suggesting damage to the cell wall induced by the reactive species in PAS. Compared with common disinfectants, the PAS activated for 3 min exhibited stronger effects than 3% hydrogen peroxide and reduced C. albicans to below the detection limit after incubation for 10 min. This study evaluates the fungal inactivation effects of PAS, providing a theoretical basis for the application of plasma technology to fungal inactivation.