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Exploring pH Dynamics in Amino Acid Solutions Under Low-Temperature Plasma Exposure.
Cecilia Julieta Garcia Villavicencio1,2, Beatriz de Campos Silva1,2, Anesu Matara1,2
1Radiation Laboratory, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556, USA.
Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)
|January 8, 2025
Summary
Low-temperature plasma (LTP) alters aqueous solution pH, impacting cancer therapy. LTP induced acidification in water and glycine solutions but not serine solutions, suggesting amino acid degradation.
Area of Science:
- Plasma physics
- Biochemistry
- Cancer research
Background:
- Low-temperature plasma (LTP) presents a selective cancer treatment modality.
- LTP generates reactive species in aqueous solutions, influencing pH.
- Solution pH is critical for cancer cell proliferation and treatment response.
Purpose of the Study:
- Investigate LTP's effect on aqueous solution pH.
- Analyze the influence of LTP parameters (voltage, frequency, time) on pH.
- Examine how amino acids (glycine, serine) affect LTP-induced pH changes.
Main Methods:
- Exposing deionized water and amino acid solutions to LTP.
- Varying LTP parameters (voltage, frequency, irradiation time).
- Measuring pH changes and analyzing amino acid structural integrity using FTIR spectroscopy.
Main Results:
- LTP caused acidification in deionized water, proportional to plasma parameters.
- Glycine solutions showed concentration-dependent pH changes.
- Serine solutions maintained a constant pH regardless of concentration.
- FTIR analysis indicated degradation of glycine and serine at low concentrations.
Conclusions:
- LTP significantly alters the pH of aqueous solutions.
- The presence of specific amino acids like serine can stabilize pH against LTP exposure.
- LTP may degrade amino acids, potentially influencing its therapeutic effects in biological systems.
