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Photoinactivation of microorganisms using bacteriochlorins as photosensitizers

  • Biotechnology and Industrial Microbiology - Research Paper
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Abstract

In recent years, some microorganisms have shown resistance to conventional treatments. Considering this increase in resistant pathogens, treatment alternatives are needed to promote greater treatment efficiency. In this sense, antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (aPDT) has been an alternative treatment. This technique uses a photosensitizer that is activated by light with a specific wavelength producing reactive species, leading to the death of pathogenic microorganisms. In this study, bacteriochlorophyll derivatives such as bacteriochlorin metoxi (Bchl-M) and bacteriochlorin trizma (Bchl-T) obtained from purple bacterium (Rhodopseudomonas faecalis), were evaluated as photosensitizers in the aPDT. Photodynamic inactivation (PDI) of the microorganisms Staphylococcus aureus, Micrococcus luteus, Candida albicans and Pseudomonas aeruginosa was investigated with both bacteriochlorins (Bchl-M and Bchl-T) at different concentrations (1, 15 and 30 µM for S. aureus; 1, 15, 30, 45, 60 and 75 µM for M. luteus; 30, 60, 90, 105, 120 and 150 µM for C. albicans; and 200 µM for P. aeruginosa) and different doses of light (20 and 30 J/cm2 for S. aureus and M. luteus; 30 and 45 J/cm2 for C. albicans; and 45 J/cm2 for P. aeruginosa) to inactivate them. Both photosensitizers showed good activation against S. aureus and for M. luteus, we observed the inactivation of these microorganisms at approximately 3 log, showing to be a good photosensitizers for these microorganisms.

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank PRPPG-UNILA (Universidade Federal da Integração Latino-Americana) (80/2019-PRPPG; 104/2020-PRPPG; 105/2020-PRPPG; 90/2022-PRPPG and 77/2022-PRPPG); DS-Unila (PROBIU); Fundação Araucária, FAPESP (São Paulo Research Foundation) grant numbers: 2011/19720-8 and CAPES for financial support and fellowships. Thanks are also due to Laura C. A. Martins, Matheus A. Dos Santos and Luciano E. Fernandes for the technical appointment.

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  1. Universidade Federal da Integração Latino-Americana, Caixa Postal 2044, Foz Do Iguaçu, PR, CEP 85866-000, Brazil

    Andréia da Cruz Rodrigues, Juliana Kafka Bilha, Priscila Romero Mazzini Pereira, Michel Rodrigo Zambrano Passarini & Marciana Pierina Uliana

  2. Universidade Federal de São Carlos, Rodovia Washington Luís, Km 235 - SP-310, São Carlos, SP, 13565-905, Brazil

    Clóvis Wesley Oliveira de Souza

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da Cruz Rodrigues, A., Bilha, J.K., Pereira, P.R.M. et al. Photoinactivation of microorganisms using bacteriochlorins as photosensitizers. Braz J Microbiol (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42770-024-01278-1

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