Figure 1.

Schematic illustration of direct (a) and indirect (b) applications of non-thermal atmospheric pressure plasmas (NTAPPs). Note that due its antimicrobial effect, direct NTAPPs have been used for different purposes such as decontamination/preservation of food, air purification and decontamination of medical and dental devices. Additionally, an improvement in wound healing and anti-cancer properties has also been observed after direct exposure to NTAPPs. Similarly, the indirect modality has demonstrated antimicrobial effect against some types of microorganisms, with applicability in different fields. The reactive oxygen and nitrogen species generated in the liquids after plasma exposure may favor the seed germination. In addition, good responses have also been observed in wound healing and cancer treatment, which brings good perspectives for healthcare due to the clinical advantages of plasma-activated water (PAW) compared to direct NTAPPs. Some figures were reprinted with permission from Delben et al. [25], CC BY 4.0 license (2016); Whittaker et al. [26], copyright Elsevier (2004); Weltmann and Woedtke, [7], copyright IOP (2017); Misra and Cheorun, [27], copyright elsevier (2017); Keidar et al. [28], CC BY 4.0 license (2011); Sivachandiran and Khacef, [29], CC BY 3.0 license (2017); Guo et al. [15], CC BY 4.0 license (2018); Chen et al. [18], copyright Wiley (2016); Xu et al. [19], CC BY 4.0 license (2020); Li et al. [22], copyright Wiley (2017); Ma et al. [30], copyright Elsevier (2015); Chiappim et al. [31], copyright Wiley (2021).