Low-temperature plasma irradiation of Ringer`s lactate generates heterogeneous molecules for cancer treatment

Abstract Low-temperature plasma (LTP) is a promising tool for cancer treatment because irradiated various solutions show selective antitumoral effects on cancer cells. In this study, Ringer`s lactate solution was irradiated by pulsed electrical discharges ignited in argon, nitrogen, and oxygen gas mixtures. The chemical compounds formed by LTP and their effects on non-tumorigenic breast epithelial cells (MCF-10A) and breast cancer cells (MCF-7) were investigated. Among these compounds, glyceric acid increased the cell viability by more than two-fold compared to the control samples for MCF-10A and MCF-7 cells, whereas the tricarballylic acid had a pronounced cytotoxic effect on the cells when incubated with solutions of 0.6 mM to 50 mM concentrations. The results show that the LTP-generated chemical compounds have both, stimulatory and inhibitory effects on cell viability, possibly by influencing the morphology of the cells and physiological functions, depending on the concentration of the generated compounds in the irradiated liquids.