Growth of Fusarium solani and Cladosporium halotolerans on agar: modeling and inhibition by a non-thermal plasma.

Abstract

Aim: The primary objective of the study was to assess the applicability of a growth model initially developed for Aspergillus brasiliensis on solid surfaces to other micromycetes, specifically Fusarium and Cladosporium. Additionally, the research identifies conditions for complete growth inhibition of these micromycetes using two distinct sources of a non-thermal plasma (NTP).

Methods and results: The growth model incorporates two critical parameters: growth rate and growth delay, which effectively describe the growth dynamics and the impact of NTP treatments. For complete inactivation of Fusarium solani and Cladosporium halotolerans, a single 10-minute exposure of a 0-, 24-, 48-, or 72-hour-old culture to a diffuse coplanar surface barrier discharge (DCSBD) was sufficient. A point-to-ring (PtR) corona discharge completely suppressed the growth of freshly inoculated cultures and 24-hour-old cultures. However, when 48-hour and 72-hour-old cultures were exposed to the point-to-ring NTP for 10 min, only partial inactivation was observed.

Conclusions: The article verifies a model for simulating the surface growth of micromycetes and evaluates the efficacy of two NTP sources in deactivating F. solani and C. halotolerans.