The “third-generation” cooking oil based drug, named plasma activated oil (PAO), is produced in cheap olive oil by a single-step, room temperature, energy-efficient, and environment-friendly dry plasma-enabled process. The streamer-surface discharge generates abundant energetic species, atomic oxygen at the plasma–oil interface. The otherwise challenging dissociation of CC double bonds by energetic species and oxidation by the plasma generated atomic oxygen is the key mechanism to produce the H2O2 active species and carboxylic acid in the PAO. It is shown that the peroxide value and acid value of PAO are 7.5 times and 57% higher than those of the traditional ozonated oil, respectively. Different from plasma activated water whose shelf life was less than 1 week, PAO could be stored at room temperature for at least 3 months, and a shelf life of up to 1 year is expected. We further reveal that the PAO can not only sterilize the wound, but also promote more release of growth factor such as VEGF and CD34; therefore, the wound healing of PAO is 28.5% faster than that of the control group.

The plasma enhanced oil based drug, named plasma activated radix arnebiae oil (PARAO) is produced in the radix arnebiae oil (RAO) by a single-step, room temperature, energy-efficient and environment-friendly dry plasma-enabled process. The streamer-surface discharge generates abundant energetic species, atomic oxygen at the plasma-oil interface. The dissociation of C  =  C double bond by energetic species and oxidization by the atomic oxygen is the main mechanism to produce reactive H2O2 and carboxylic acid species in the PARAO, while the decreasing of shikonin caused by plasma is very limited. The highly reactive PARAO can not only kill the common bacterium (MRSA and P. aeruginosa) on burn wound efficiently, but also suppress inflammation, stimulate re-epithelialization, and reduce scar formation. Therefore, the PARAO treatment realizes 11.3% faster second degree burn wound healing than the RAO treatment.

A handheld low temperature plasma (LTP) device has been developed for safe and effective wound healing. The room temperature, long operating range plasma produced by this device was acceptable for the genetic diabetic db/db mice. Three working gas admixture ratios, helium only, helium +0.1% O2 and helium +1% O2, of the LTP device were compared on the wound healing efficiency. The LTP with the working gas of helium +0.1% O2, produced more RONS. Its higher concentration of ROS resulted in higher sterilization efficiency, which decreased the oxygen consumed by bacteria and increased the oxygen supply to extracellular matrix and growing blood vessels. Its higher concentration of NO stimulated keratinocytes to secret growth factors. Therefore, it realized faster chronic wound healing. The other working gases admixture ratio were also effective in the wound healing promotion in diabetic mice. Taken together, these results suggest that LTP can be used to promote healing in chronic diabetic wounds.

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