@article{Eced-Rodríguez:15258,
      recid = {15258},
      author = {Eced-Rodríguez, Laura and Beyrer, Michael and Rodrigo,  Dolores and Rivas, Alejandro and Esteve, Consuelo and  Consuelo Pina-Pérez, Maria},
      title = {Sublethal damage caused by cold plasma on bacillus cereus  cells : impact on cell viability and biofilm-forming  capacity},
      publisher = {MDPI},
      journal = {Foods},
      address = {Basel, Switzerland. 2024-10},
      number = {ARTICLE},
      pages = {17 p.},
      abstract = {The Bacillus cereus group represents a serious risk in  powdered and amylaceous foodstuffs. Cold plasma (the fourth  state of matter) is emerging as an alternative effective  nonthermal technology for pasteurizing a wide range of  matrices in solid, liquid, and powder form. The present  study aims to evaluate the mechanisms involved in Bacillus  cereus inactivation via cold plasma, focusing on (i) the  technology’s ability to generate damage in cells (at the  morphological and molecular levels) and (ii) studying the  effectiveness of cold plasma in biofilm mitigation through  the direct effect and inhibition of the biofilm-forming  capacity of sublethally damaged cells post-treatment.  Dielectric barrier discharge cold plasma (DBD-CP)  technology was used to inactivate B. cereus, B.  thuringiensis, and B. mycoides under plasma power settings  of 100, 200, and 300 W and treatment times ranging from 1  to 10 min. Inactivation levels were achieved in 2–7 log10  cycles under the studied conditions. Percentages of  sublethally damaged cells were observed in a range of  45–98%, specifically at treatment times below 7 min. The  sublethally damaged cells showed poration, erosion, and  loss of integrity at the superficial level. At the  molecular level, proteins and DNA leakage were also  observed for B. cereus but were minimal for B. mycoides.  Biofilms formed by B. cereus were progressively  disintegrated under the DBD-CP treatment. The greater the  CP treatment intensity, the greater the tearing of the  bacteria’s biofilm network. Additionally, cells sublethally  damaged by DBD-CP were evaluated in terms of their  biofilm-forming capacity. Significant losses in the damaged  cells’ biofilm network density and aggregation capacity  were observed when B. cereus was recovered after  inactivation at 300 W for 7.5 min, compared with the  untreated cells. These results provide new insights into  the future of tailored DBD-CP design conditions for both  the inactivation and biofilm reduction capacity of B.  cereus sensu lato species, demonstrating the effectiveness  of cold plasma and the risks associated with sublethal  damage generation.},
      url = {http://arodes.hes-so.ch/record/15258},
      doi = {https://doi.org/10.3390/foods13203251},
}