title: Morphology analysis of Escherichia coli treated with nonthermal plasma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Nonthermal plasma agents (reactive species and charged particles) are generally generated together. Previous studies of nonthermal plasma agents did not investigate the role of a microbial inactivation agent without interference from other agents. Consequently, the exact mechanism underlying their activity remains unclear. The present experiment was conducted to study the mechanism underlying Escherichia coli inactivation by nonthermal plasma.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mechanism underlying E. coli inactivation by charged particles was studied using pure argon plasma. Results showed that cell wall damage owing to strong electrostatic forces did not occur during direct current (DC) plasma treatment with Ar or N2. Next, the inactivation effects of excited N2∗, N2+, ozone, OH radicals, and nitric oxide were investigated using pure nitrogen plasma and air plasma. Morphological changes and cell rupture of E. coli were observed after 5 min of treatment with nonthermal plasma in air, but not with argon and nitrogen plasma treatments.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our data demonstrate that reactive oxygen species play an essential role in the inactivation of E. coli.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A clear understanding of the mechanisms underlying nonthermal plasma's inactivation of micro-organism is essential for the practical applications of nonthermal plasma techniques.
authors: College of Biosystems Engineering and Food Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.|Institute of Food Science, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou, China.
authors: J
authors: J
authors: Guo
authors: College of Biosystems Engineering and Food Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.
authors: Z
authors: Z
authors: Li
authors: College of Biosystems Engineering and Food Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.
authors: K
authors: K
authors: Huang
authors: College of Biosystems Engineering and Food Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.|Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, USA.
authors: Y
authors: Y
authors: Li
authors: College of Biosystems Engineering and Food Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.
authors: J
authors: J
authors: Wang
mesh_terms: D001128:Argon / Q000737:chemistry; D004560:Electricity; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D005506:Food Contamination / Q000517:prevention & control; D050296:Microbial Viability / Q000187:drug effects; D058626:Plasma Gases / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism; D013242:Sterilization / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D058626:Plasma Gases; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D001128:Argon
keywords: 
  Escherichia coli
  ; disinfection; food safety; nonthermal processes; sterilization