Quaternized Curcumin Derivative—Synthesis, Physicochemical Characteristics, and Photocytotoxicity, Including Antibacterial Activity after Irradiation with Blue Light

Abstract

Over the past few years, numerous bacterial strains have become resistant to selected drugs from various therapeutic groups. A potential tool in the fight against these strains is antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (APDT). APDT acts in a non-specific manner by generating reactive oxygen species and radicals, thereby inducing multidimensional intracellular effects. Importantly, the chance that bacteria will develop defense mechanisms against APDT is considered to be low. In our research, we performed the synthesis and physicochemical characterization of curcumin derivatives enriched with morpholine motifs. The obtained compounds were assessed regarding photostability, singlet oxygen generation, aggregation, and acute toxicity toward prokaryotic Aliivibrio fischeri cells in the Microtox® test. The impact of the compounds on the survival of eukaryotic cells in the MTT assay was also tested (WM266-4, WM115—melanoma, MRC-5—lung fibroblasts, and PHDF—primary human dermal fibroblasts). Initial studies determining the photocytotoxicity, and thus the potential APDT usability, were conducted with the following microbial strains: Candida albicans, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pneumoniae, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. It was noted that the exposure of bacteria to LED light at 470 nm (fluence: 30 J/cm2) in the presence of quaternized curcumin derivatives at the conc. of 10 µM led to a reduction in Staphylococcus aureus survival of over 5.4 log.