Mid-infrared - A Laser Potentiator to Enhance the Potency of Antibiotics

Antimicrobial potentiation can reduce dosage and cost while also reducing host stress.In general, potentiation is achieved to some extent through the combination of antimicrobials, but it is not always beneficial, particularly due to concerns about multi-drug resistance and economic issues.To favorably overcome these issues, we developed an approach in which irradiation with non-ionizing 2-6 µm mid-infrared (mid-IR) light increased the potency of antibiotics by severalfold.Different groups of antibiotics were treated with 2-6 µm mid-IR and challenged with different pathogens.We observed that antibiotic potency was enhanced by 5-173%.We developed a mid-infrared-generating atomizer (MIRGA).Through the agar well-diffusion method, a sensory expert panel test, and a variety of instrumentations, we deciphered that the mid-IR's effect on the irradiated antibiotics included changes in chemical bonding, configuration, atomic arrangement, and chemical compounds that are responsible for the enhanced potentiation.This technique is found to be safe, easily applicable, and economical, with a vast scope for the future potentiation of other pharmacological compounds as well.