Min Lu et al. developed a new treatment for eliminating surface bacteria using blue light and carvacrol, creates a photoxic, bacteria-specific reaction

Fig. 1. A combination of blue light and carvacrol synergistically kills planktonic bacteria, established biofilms, and bacterial persisters.

 

     Min Lu et al. developed a natural combination therapy for againsting multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacterial infections with nonantibiotic modalities.Through the combined treatment of two naturally occurring blue light and phytochemical carvacrol, carvacrol was photocatalytically oxidized into a series of photoreactive substrates that underwent photolysis or additional photosensitization reactions in response to the same blue light, forming two autoxidation cycles that interacted with each other resulting in robust generation of cytotoxic reactive oxygen species, and synergistically killing an array of  multi-drug resistant bacteria.

 

Journal page number: Sci Transl Med. 2021,13,eaba3571.

Paper links: https://stm.sciencemag.org/content/13/575/eaba3571.short