Applications of Atmospheric Pressure Non-Thermal Plasma to Plant Stress Regulation and Animal Health Improvement

Atmospheric pressure non-thermal plasma (APNTP) is an emerging technology with demonstrated potential for mitigating diverse environmental stresses in agriculture and animal health. This review synthesizes current evidence on plasma-mediated stress regulation in plants and animals. For plants, APNTP enhances tolerance to drought, salinity, temperature extremes, heavy-metal toxicity, and pathogen infections through activation of antioxidant systems, stress-responsive gene expression, and adaptive signaling pathways. For animals, APNTP promotes wound healing, microbial disinfection, reproductive health, and environmental pollutant degradation via modulation of oxidative balance, inflammatory responses, and cellular repair mechanisms. However, most reported effects to date are based on laboratory-scale studies under controlled conditions, and critical gaps remain in dose-dependent toxicity profiles, protocol standardization, and long-term safety data. We highlight future priorities including mechanistic studies, parameter optimization, safety assessment, and scalability evaluation. This review provides a comprehensive framework for advancing APNTP applications toward sustainable agriculture and improved animal welfare.