Synthesis and characterization of porphyrin-MWCNT nanohybrid and its utilization as an antimicrobial agent against S. aureus and E. coli

In the past two decades, the overuse of antibiotic drugs has increased resistance against various available medications in the market. Therefore, the rise in multi-drug resistant microorganisms poses a formidable global health challenge. So, to cope with these situations, we have synthesized a nanohybrid composed of MWCNT and porphyrin, which could be a suitable alternative. Herein, porphyrin is utilized as a visible light photosensitizer to produce reactive oxygen species, which can cause toxicity for bacteria and, ultimately cell death. We have evaluated the effectiveness of MWCNT-porphyrin nanohybrid against the biofilm of Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus pathogens. The Microdilution method shows a concentration of 62.5 mu g/mL as a MIC50 value, which reduces the population of both organisms by around 50%. This nanohybrid can be used as an efficient substitute for conventional antibiotics to treat local infections.