Inactivation of Aspergillus spp. by Ozone Treatment

The article investigates the effectiveness of ozone in inhibiting the growth of two Aspergillus species, (A. flavus, A. niger) isolated from a nail affected by onychomycosis and from a biodeteriorated paper. Specifically, two main goals are to establish (i) whether differently aged colonies show different responses to the ozonization process, and (ii) whether a repeated ozone exposure can enhance the inhibition of the colony growing. The results prove a high sensibility of the strains considered to the proposed treatment: the growing of both is drastically reduced, and for A. niger completely stopped. Furthermore, ozonization induces pigments bleaching in fungal colonies.