Cold Plasma as a Revolutionary Antimicrobial Modality: A Multifaceted Weapon Against Antibiotic Resistance.

Area of Science:

• Microbiology
• Plasma Physics
• Biotechnology

Background:

• Antibiotic resistance is a growing global health crisis, rendering existing treatments ineffective.
• Traditional antibiotics face limitations against multidrug-resistant pathogens.
• Innovative antimicrobial strategies are urgently needed to combat resistant infections.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the mechanisms of cold plasma as an antimicrobial agent.
• To explore factors influencing cold plasma's efficacy and its applications.
• To highlight cold plasma's potential in combating antibiotic resistance.

Main Methods:

• Literature review synthesizing current evidence on cold plasma.
• Analysis of cold plasma's antimicrobial mechanisms (e.g., membrane damage, oxidative stress).
• Examination of synergistic effects with antibiotics, nanomaterials, and bacteriophages.

Main Results:

• Cold plasma disrupts bacterial survival via diverse mechanisms, including membrane rupture and oxidative stress.
• Its efficacy is influenced by plasma properties and treatment parameters.
• Synergistic combinations enhance effectiveness against resistant strains.

Conclusions:

• Cold plasma presents a promising, multi-targeted approach to combat antibiotic resistance.
• Applications span healthcare, food safety, and environmental protection.
• Further research is needed for safety validation and large-scale implementation.