Increasing antibiotic resistant pathogens incidence brings to an end of “the
antibiotic era” which extended over the past 50 years, and necessitates exploration of
alternative approaches to combat emerging infections. Increase global spread of drug
resistance pathogens has prompted researchers to search for new strategies for
microbial eradication. The efficient and often selective inactivation of microbial
pathogens by means of photosensitized processes (Photodynamic therapy) has opened
favourable avenues to treat numerable infectious diseases. Antimicrobial Photodynamic
therapy (APDT) is a light-based antimicrobial therapy capable of efficiently eradicating
wide microorganisms. It is an oxygen-dependent photochemical reaction that occurs
upon light mediated activation of a photosensitizing compound leading to the
generation of reactive oxygen species. Antimicrobial photodynamic therapy is a
topical, non-invasive approach suitable for treating local infections. This chapter focus
on introduction to antimicrobial photodynamic therapy with an emphasis on the use of
photodynamic therapy for the treatment of resistant microbial strains.
Keywords: Aminolevulinic acid, Antibiotic resistance, Antimicrobial chemotherapy,
Fungicidal, Laser, Methylene blue, Photodynamic therapy, Photosensitizer,
Porphyrin, Singlet oxygen.
