Plasma‐treated liquids in medicine: Let's get chemical

Fundamental and applied research on plasma-treated liquids for biomedical applications was boosted in the last few years, dictated by their advantages with respect to direct treatments. However, often, the lack of consistent analysis at a molecular level of these liquids, and of the processes used to produce them, have raised doubts of their usefulness in the clinic. The aim of this article is to critically discuss some basic aspects related to the use of plasma-treated liquids in medicine, with a focus on their chemical composition. We analyze the main liquids used in the field, how they are affected by non-thermal plasmas, and the possibility to replicate them without plasma treatment.