Author: Thi Giang Tuyet Pham
Pham, Thi Giang Tuyet, 2023 Plasma-treated Spirulina maxima promoting wound healing and antibacterial capability, Flinders University, College of Medicine and Public Health
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Wounds have significant negative impacts on human health and result in social and economic problems due to decreased workability, rising disability rates, and high treatment costs. Current treatment methods relying on antibiotic drugs and hydrogel silver are expensive with profound side- effects and can result in antimicrobial resistance. Natural products and functional biomaterials need to be investigated for better solutions. Spirulina species contain diverse biomolecules with numerous beneficial bioactivities and are promising for wound treatments and health promotion. Extracting these bioactive compounds from the biomass matrix is challenging, but plasma technology has emerged as a powerful technique to enhance antibacterial and wound healing bioactivities of Spirulina maxima.
Thin biomass layers of Spirulina maxima were treated with cold plasma derived from argon gas in 100s and 200s over 1 cm2. Biomass morphology, biochemical composition, and CPC release capability were determined while antioxidative, antibacterial, and wound healing bioactivities of the treated biomass were tested to evaluate plasma efficiency. Morphologically, cell wall disruption of the biomass treated with plasma in 200s was found more efficient than the 100s treatment. Biochemically, 10% less polysaccharides were found in the plasma-treated biomass with the lower capability of CPC release. However, over twice amount of CPC (20 μg/mL) was released after 48 hours incubated at 37°C. The released CPC had 10% lower antioxidative activity compared to the one obtained from the nontreatment. Antibacterial activity of the treated biomass tested on Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa was significantly higher 30% for the former and 10% for the latter. Plasma – treated (PSm) and non – treated Spirulina maxima (Sm) were found to be safe for human cells, as demonstrated by the viability of macrophages-like THP-1 cell which exceeded 70% of the control group. After 3 days, the concentration of IL-6 secreted was 248.215 pg/ mL lower in THP-1 cells incubated with PSm. The proliferation of HaCaT cells did not change between incubating with PSm and Sm. All the obtained results reveal that bioactivities of Spirulina maxima including antibacterial and wound healing were enhanced with plasma-assisted coating.
Keywords: plasma, Spirulina maxima, wound healing, antibacterial, mammalian cell
Subject: Biotechnology thesis
Thesis type: Masters
Completed: 2023
School: College of Medicine and Public Health
Supervisor: Vi-Khanh Truong