VIRUCIDAL ACTIVITY OF PURE SINGLET OXYGEN GENERATED BY THERMOLYSIS OFA WATER-SOLUBLE NAPHTHALENE ENDOPEROXIDE

Using the water-soluble naphthalene carrier of singlet oxygen NDPO2, w e have shown that pure singlet oxygen is able to inactivate enveloped viruses (human immunodeficiency virus type 1, herpes simplex virus typ e I, cytomegalovirus, vesicular stomatitis virus), but has no effect o n non-enveloped viruses (adenovirus and poliovirus 1). These results a re related to the experiments on photoinactivation of viruses by hydro phobic photosensitizers (merocyanine 540, hypericin, phthalocyanines, hematoporphyrin and benzoporphyrin derivatives) and they strengthen th e hypothesis that singlet oxygen plays a predominant role in this proc ess.