Stable, plant-based photoactive antimicrobial agent

Antimicrobial resistance due to the overuse of conventional antimicrobial agents in surface coatings and consumer products is a global concern for the treatment of infectious diseases in recent years. To address this concern, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has banned the use of a number of conventional antimicrobial agents in consumer and healthcare products including hand soaps and hand sanitisers, thus, giving rise to the importance of alternative antimicrobial agents in antiseptic products. Photoactive antimicrobial agents are effective alternatives which produce highly reactive oxygen species (ROS) when activated by light. These reactive oxygen species display broad-spectrum biocidal activity that destroy microbes by a multi-targeted killing mechanism, which may limit the development of antimicrobial tolerance or resistance. The photoactive antimicrobial agent used is obtained from a plant which is cheap and easily available. The agent has been demonstrated in scientific literature as a natural antimicrobial as well as a photosensitiser that has broad-spectrum activity against virus, bacteria, fungus and parasites. Furthermore, the plant-based antimicrobial agent has been developed in a stabilised form to protect it from environmental degradation. The enhanced environmental stability of this natural photoactive antimicrobial agent makes it suitable to be incorporated in various materials for self-sterilising product applications and provides a “greener solution” to limit the spread of pathogens and transmission of infections by indirect contact. The stabilisation of the antimicrobial agent is achieved through a single-step chemical reaction. Elemental and spectroscopic analyses of the stabilised product have shown that it is more stable in the environment than its natural precursor. The photosensitisation and antimicrobial properties of the natural compound are retained after the stabilisation treatment. Preliminary studies demonstrate antimicrobial activity by visible light activation. This stabilised form of the natural photoactive antimicrobial agent can be incorporated into coating formulations to develop antimicrobial coatings for diverse surfaces including plastics, leather, wood, concrete and metal. In addition, being developed from the natural source of plant origin, this agent may have potential applications in fabric dye, personal care products and packaging materials. Several methods are being developed to incorporate this antimicrobial agent in various polymers for different applications such as self-sterilising surface coating. The technology provider is interested in licensing, research cooperation or commercial agreements with technical assistance with SMEs and MNEs of all sizes.