Enhanced Photodynamic Suppression of Enterococcus faecalis Using Curcumin-Loaded Zeolite

Antibacterial photodynamic therapy (aPDT) has drawn increasing attention as a noninvasive approach to remove bacterial contaminants such as E. faecalis from the tooth surface. In this study, curcumin (CUR) was loaded into ZSM-5 zeolite and the prepared photosensitizers (CUR@ZSM) were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy (UV–Vis). The loading efficiency, and release behavior of CUR were studied in CUR@ZSM. The antimicrobial and anti-biofilm potential of the photosensitizer were evaluated against E. faecalis via colony forming unit and crystal violet assays, respectively. No significant changes were observed in the size, morphology and crystallinity of the zeolite after CUR loading. CUR@ZSM showed a significant photodynamic inactivation effect through complete bacterial elimination and reduced the biofilm formation ability of E. faecalis up to about 80%. The results revealed that CUR@ZSM could be considered as a new potential photosensitizer for further study against endodontic infections.