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Treatment of Streptococcus mutans biofilms with a nonthermal atmospheric plasma
Author(s) -
Sladek R.E.J.,
Filoche S.K.,
Sissons C.H.,
Stoffels E.
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
letters in applied microbiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.698
H-Index - 110
eISSN - 1472-765X
pISSN - 0266-8254
DOI - 10.1111/j.1472-765x.2007.02194.x
Subject(s) - streptococcus mutans , microbiology and biotechnology , biofilm , streptococcaceae , nonthermal plasma , streptococcus pneumoniae , bacteria , chemistry , biology , antibiotics , plasma , physics , genetics , quantum mechanics
Aims: A nonthermal atmospheric plasma, designed for biomedical applications, was tested for its antimicrobial activity against biofilm cultures of a key cariogenic bacterium Streptococcus mutans. Methods and Results: The Strep. mutans biofilms were grown with and without 0·15% sucrose. A chlorhexidine digluconate rinse (0·2%) was used as a positive antimicrobial reference. The presence of sucrose and the frequency of plasma application during growth were shown to have a significant effect on the response to treatment and antibacterial activity. Conclusions: A single plasma treatment for 1 min on biofilms cultured without sucrose caused no re‐growth within the observation period. However, with either single or repeated plasma treatments of 1 min, on biofilms cultured with 0·15% sucrose, growth was only reduced. Significance and Impact of the Study: In summary, there may be a role for nonthermal plasma therapies in dental procedures. Sucrose and associated growth conditions may be a factor in the survival of oral biofilms after treatment.