The tolyporphins, a family of green tetrapyrrolic pigments isolated from a cyanobacterium-microbial ecological unit, possess unique carbohydrate-derivatized dioxobacteriochlorin frameworks. A brief overview over the history, synthesis, chemistry and biological properties of the tolyporphins forms the backdrop for highlighting the contribution by Hood et al. (Photochem. Photobiol., 2017, https://doi.org/10.1111/php.12781) who demonstrate the optical properties of tolyporphins to be more similar to those of chlorins than of bacteriochlorins. This property could be correlated with the presence of β-oxo-functionalities. The study continues to clarify the structure, properties and possible roles of these intriguing chromophores with a range of biomedical properties.
© 2017 The American Society of Photobiology.