Non-thermal plasma (NTP) is an ionized gas composed of neutral and charged reactive species, electric fields, and ultraviolet radiation. NTP presents a relatively low discharge temperature because it is characterized by the fact that the temperature values of ions and neutral particles are much lower than that of electrons. Reactive species (atoms, radicals, ions, electrons) are produced in NTP and delivered to biological objects induce a set of biochemical processes in cells or tissues. NTP can mediate reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels in an intensity- and time-dependent manner. ROS homeostasis plays an important role in animal health. Relatively low or physiological levels of ROS mediated by NTP promote cell proliferation and differentiation, while high or excessive levels of ROS mediated by NTP cause oxidative stress damage and even cell death. NTP treatment under appropriate conditions not only produces moderate levels of exogenous ROS directly and stimulates intracellular ROS generation, but also can regulate intracellular ROS levels indirectly, which affect the redox state in different cells and tissues of animals. However, the treatment condition of NTP need to be optimized and the potential mechanism of NTP-mediated ROS in different biological targets is still unclear. Over the past ten decades, interest in the application of NTP technology in biology and medical sciences has been rapidly growing. There is significant optimism that NTP can be developed for a wide range of applications such as wound healing, oral treatment, cancer therapy, and biomedical materials because of its safety, non-toxicity, and high efficiency. Moreover, the combined application of NTP with other methods is currently a hot research topic because of more effective effects on sterilization and anti-cancer abilities. Interestingly, NTP technology has presented great application potential in the animal husbandry field in recent years. However, the wide applications of NTP are related to different and complicated mechanisms, and whether NTP-mediated ROS play a critical role in its application need to be clarified. Therefore, this review mainly summarizes the effects of ROS on animal health, the mechanisms of NTP-mediated ROS levels through antioxidant clearance and ROS generation, and the potential applications of NTP-mediated ROS in animal growth and breeding, animal health, animal-derived food safety, and biomedical fields including would healing, oral treatment, cancer therapy, and biomaterials. This will provide a theoretical basis for promoting the healthy development of animal husbandry and the prevention and treatment of diseases in both animals and human beings.
Keywords: animal husbandry; biomedicine; non-thermal plasma; reactive oxygen species.