Indium as a central metal enhances the photosensitizing efficacy of benzoporphyrin derivatives.

Compared to benzoporphyrin derivative-dimethyl ester (BPD-DME) and its 8-(1'-hexyloxy)ethyl analog the corresponding In(III) complexes showed enhanced in vitro photosensitizing efficacy in Colon26 tumor cells, which could be due to their higher singlet oxygen producing ability. In both organic (methanol) and aqueous Bovine Calf Serum (17% BCS) solutions the metalated analogs were significantly more stable than the parent photosensitizers. Presence of Indium as a central metal gave 13-25 nm hypsochromic shift to the long wavelength absorption band with reduced absorption and fluorescence intensity. The insertion of metal did not produce any difference in intracellular localization of the photosensitizers and were mainly localized in mitochondria.