Target-selective photo-degradation of verotoxin-1 and reduction of its cytotoxicity to Vero cells using porphyrin-globotriose hybrids.

Designed and synthesized porphyrin-globotriose hybrids effectively degraded verotoxin-1, which causes severe bloody diarrhoea and fetal hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). Degradation was achieved using long-wavelength UV or visible light irradiation in the absence of any additives and under neutral conditions. Moreover, the hybrids neutralized the cytotoxicity of verotoxin upon photo-irradiation.