Genotoxic assessment of plasma activated solutions on N/TERT1 and N/TERT2G human keratinocytes

Abstract

Several disease outbreaks that occurred in relatively recent times have highlighted the threatening danger that fast-spreading pathogens can cause in an unprepared world. Even though current methods of sanitisation have proven to be effective in disinfecting surfaces, equipment and hands, they are far from being the ideal sanitizer. Plasma-activated water (PAW) produced from cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) has the potential to be an efficient and better replacement for the common alcohol sanitisers used. The possibility to produce it on site, with fewer raw substances and adverse reactions, make it an ideal candidate for a universal sanitiser if proven to be medical-grade and effective against most pathogens. This study aimed at evaluating; (i) the mutagenic potential of hydrogen peroxide and PAW; (ii) the effect on cell viability of N/TERT 1 and N/TERT 2G cells after exposure to these two compounds; (iii) the oxidative stress imposed on the N/TERT cells after exposure to PAW and hydrogen peroxide and (iv) the genotoxic potential of the compounds on the keratinocyte cells through the change in replicative index and formation of micronuclei. A 30 min incubation protocol was used for the Ames test utilising S. enterica Typhimurium TA 98, S. enterica Typhimurium TA 100, S. enterica Typhimurium TA 1535, S. enterica Typhimurium TA 1537 and E. coli WP2 trp uvrA strains which resulted in no mutagenicity caused by either of the compounds. Exposure of both cell lines to hydrogen peroxide and PAW resulted in no decrease in cell viability upon exposure of up to 5 min as well as a decrease in 8-oxodG production, a biomarker of oxidative stress when compared to the negative control. A reduction in the replicative index was recorded when cells were treated with both media containing the test compounds with no formation of micronuclei recorded. This study demonstrated the potential use of PAW as a hand sanitizer for short exposure times of up to 5 min.