Antimicrobial Activity of Fullerenes and Their Hydroxylated Derivatives

The antimicrobial activities of fullerene C-60 and its derivatives against 6 kinds of bacteria and 2 kinds of fungi were evaluated. The tested samples were water-soluble fullerenes (polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP)/C-60, gamma-cyclodextrin (gamma-CD)/C-60, and nano-C-60) and 3 types of fullerenols (C-60(OH)(12), C-60(OH)(36) center dot 8H(2)O, and C-60 (OH)(44) center dot 8H(2)O). Their activities were compared with those of (+)-catechin and hinokitiol from the viewpoint of future application to cosmetics. Although pristine C-60 demonstrated no antimicrobial activity, fullerenols exhibited good antimicrobial activity against Propionibacterium acnes, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Candida albicans, and Malassezia furfur. In particular, C-60 (OH)(44) exhibited a strong and wide-ranging antimicrobial activity comparable to that of catechin. This compound exhibits antimicrobial activity via inhibition of microbial cell growth and not via bactericidal activity.