The potential of commercially available phytotherapeutic compounds as new photosensitizers for dental antimicrobial PDT: A photochemical and photobiological in vitro study.

The present study evaluated the effectiveness of extracts of commercially available Curcuma longa, Citrus lemon, Hamamelis virginiana and Hypericum perforatum as photosensitizers in Antimicrobial Photodynamic Therapy (aPDT). Each photosensitizer (PS) was analyzed in a spectrophotometer between 350 and 750 nm to determine the ideal light source. Once the absorption bands were determined, three light sources were selected. To determine the concentration of use, the compounds were tested at different concentrations on bovine dentin samples to evaluate the risk of staining. Once the concentration was determined, the PSs were evaluated for dark toxicity and phototoxicity on fibroblast and bacteria culture. Each compound was then irradiated with each light source and evaluated for the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). The bacterial reduction was tested on E. faecalis culture in planktonic form and on biofilm using an energy of 10 J and an Energy Density of 26 J/cm. The tested compounds exhibited light absorption in three bands of the visible spectrum: violet (405 nm), blue (460 nm) and red (660 nm). At a 1:6 concentration, none of the compounds caused tooth staining as they did not exhibit significant toxicity in the cells or bacterial suspension. Additionally, significant ROS production was observed when the compounds were irradiated at each wavelength. When aPDT was performed on the plactonic and biofilm bacteria, significant microbial reduction was observed in both cases, reaching a reduction of up to 5Logs. In conclusion, extracts of Curcuma longa, Citrus lemon, Hamamelis virginiana and Hypericum perforatum exhibited potential for use as photosensitizing agents in aPDT.