DOI: 10.5061/dryad.931zcrjxc
title: Cold atmospheric plasma improves antifungal responsiveness of Aspergillus flavus and Fusarium keratoplasticum conidia and mycelia

description: The purpose of this study is to evaluate sublethal cold atmospheric plasma
 (CAP) treatment of filamentous fungal pathogen susceptibility to commonly
 used antifungal drugs in vitro. Response to CAP in combination with
 voriconazole, fluconazole, amphotericin B, and caspofungin was evaluated
 in Aspergillus flavus and Fusarium keratoplasticum conidia and mycelium;
 conidial response to fluconazole was also assessed in three strains of F.
 falciforme. Conidial susceptibility to antifungal drugs alone or in
 combination with CAP was assessed using a modified CLSI broth
 microdilution assay with MIC determination and colony-forming unit (CFU)
 enumeration. Mycelial viability and biofilm thickness changes in response
 to antifungal drugs alone or in combination with CAP were assessed over 24
 hours post treatment. CAP enhanced antifungal drug efficacy against all
 fungal species, though effects differed by drug and growth form. CAP
 enhanced antifungal drug susceptibility in conidia, with the strongest
 effect observed for F. keratoplasticum conidia, where caspofungin MIC
 decreased fourfold and sensitivity to fluconazole, which exerted no effect
 in absence of CAP, was restored when combined with sublethal CAP
 treatment. In A. flavus, CAP lowered the MIC of voriconazole but increased
 the MIC of amphotericin B, despite reductions in viable cell counts.
 Differential responses to CAP and fluconazole were observed across three
 strains of F. falciforme, suggesting variability in CAP response. In
 treated biofilms, CAP alone initially reduced mycelial viability and
 biofilm thickness, but partial recovery of the fungus was observed over
 time in most cases. When combined with antifungal drugs, CAP significantly
 enhanced reduction of mycelial viability and thickness beyond antifungal
 treatment alone. In F. keratoplasticum biofilms, the combination of CAP
 and antifungal drugs produced sustained reductions in mycelial viability
 and biofilm thickness, whereas A. flavus biofilms were more resistant to
 CAP treatment and exhibited consistent recovery after 24 hours.
description: # Cold atmospheric plasma improves antifungal responsiveness of
 Aspergillus flavus and Fusarium keratoplasticum conidia and mycelia
 Dataset DOI: [10.5061/dryad.931zcrjxc](10.5061/dryad.931zcrjxc) ##
 Description of the data and file structure ### Files and variables ####
 File: CAP_AF_Conidia_CFU_mL_Data.csv **Description:** Colony forming unit
 per mL counts from fungal conidia samples treated with or without
 antifungal (AF) drugs (either voriconazole, fluconazole, amphotericin B,
 or caspofungin) at increasing doses, alone or in combination with cold
 atmospheric plasma (CAP) treatment.  ##### Variables * Fungal species:
 Identifies fungal organism sampled * Drug: Indicates antifungal drug
 selection * Dose (ppm): Indicates concentration of antifungal drug * CAP
 Condition: Indicates CAP treated versus untreated * CFU/mL: Diagnostic
 outcome - counted colony forming units per milliliter  #### File:
 CAP_AF_Mycelial_Metabolic_Activity_Data.csv **Description:** Metabolic
 activity (measured via XTT reduction area) of mature fungal mycelia
 treated with or without antifungal (AF) drugs (either voriconazole,
 fluconazole, amphotericin B, or caspofungin) alone or in combination with
 cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) treatment. Measurements taken 0, 3, 6, 9,
 12, and 24 hours post treatment.  ##### Variables * Fungal
 species: Identifies fungal organism sampled * Drug:  Indicates antifungal
 drug selection * CAP Condition: Indicates CAP treated versus untreated *
 Sampling Time: Indicates time at which data was collected (in hours post
 initial treatment) * Pixel Count: Diagnostic outcome - micrographic image
 area (in pixels) for which metabolic activity is indicated (via color
 difference) and gated/quantified #### File:
 CAP_AF_Biofilm_Thickness_Data.csv **Description:** Biofilm thickness
 (measured in micrometers) of in vitro 24 well fungal biofilms treated with
 or without antifungal (AF) drugs (either voriconazole, fluconazole,
 amphotericin B, or caspofungin) alone or in combination with cold
 atmospheric plasma (CAP) treatment. Measurements taken 0, 3, 6, 9, 12, and
 24 hours post treatment.  ##### Variables * Fungal species: Identifies
 fungal organism sampled * Drug:  Indicates antifungal drug selection * CAP
 Condition: Indicates CAP treated versus untreated * Sampling
 Time: Indicates time at which data was collected (in hours post initial
 treatment) * Thickness (micrometer): Diagnostic outcome - biofilm
 thickness measurement in micrometers