5,7-Diaryl-substituted symmetrical diazepinoporphyrazine and tribenzodiazepinoporphyrazine were synthesized and characterized using UV–Vis, MS
MALDI, and various NMR techniques. The expected photosensitizing potentials of these porphyrazines were evaluated by measuring their abilities to generate singlet oxygen in
organic solvents and by comparing them with that of the recently obtained dendrimeric G1-type diazepinoporhyrazine. Absorbance and fluorescence measurements were performed to study the aggregation properties of the novel macrocycles. The photocytotoxicity of tribenzodiazepinoporphyrazine towards
LNCaP cells in its free form and after its incorporation into
liposomes was examined using
MTT assay under normoxic and hypoxic conditions. It is interesting that all tested liposome formulations maintained their
phototoxic activity in hypoxia. Also, tribenzodiazepinoporphyrazine incorporated into liposomes revealed better photocytotoxic effect (IC
50 values of 0.600 ± 0.357 μM and 0.378 ± 0.002 μM) than its free form (IC
50 values of 3.135 ± 0.156 μM). Following the
in vitro experiments, the most promising liposomal formulation containing l-α-phosphatidyl-DL-glycerol for tribenzodiazepinoporphyrazine was found. Moreover, tribenzodiazepinoporphyrazine incorporated into liposomes containing 1,2-dioleoyl-3-trimethylammonium-propane (chloride salt) revealed moderate phototoxicity at 5 × 10
−5 μM for antibacterial
photodynamic therapy. It was established that an irradiation of planktonic bacterial strains significantly reduced CFUs of
Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923 in comparison to tribenzodiazepinoporphyrazine containing l-α-phosphatidyl-DL-glycerol liposomes.