Comparative Anti-Bacteriophage Activity of Naturally-Occurring Photosensitizers

Abstract

Various plant photosensitizers were compared for their photoactivity against the bacterial viruses T4 and M13. The compounds comprised the furanocoumarins 8-methoxypsoralen and angelicin; the furanochromones visnagin and khellin; the furanoquinoline dictamnine; the β-carboline harmine; and the thiophenes thiarubrine-A and thiophene-A. The kinetic curves of virus inactivation were used to calculate relative phototoxicities. The five furo compounds displayed a wide range of activities, consistent with observations in other virus systems. In general T4 was substantially more sensitive than M13. Harmine was unusual however in that it was considerably more active against M13. The thiophenes showed very little activity against these viruses, in contrast to the known potency shown by some of them against membrane-containing viruses.