BODIPY-based fluorescent probe for cysteine detection and its applications in food analysis, test strips and biological imaging
Xiaokun Yang, Jiamin Wang, Zunlong Zhang, Bo Zhang, Xiaolin Du, Jian Zhang, Jianhong Wang
Abstract
Cysteine, as one of semi-essential amino acids, which is absorbed from protein-rich foods and acts considerable role in various physiological processes. Here, we designed and synthesized a BODIPY-based turn-on fluorescent probe BDP-S for detecting Cys. The probe displayed short reaction time (10 min), distinct color response (from blue to pink), large signal noise ratio (3150-fold), high selectivity and sensitivity (LOD = 11.2 nM) toward Cys. Moreover, BDP-S could not only be used for quantitative determination of Cys in food samples, but also be conveniently deposited on the test strips for qualitative detection of Cys. Notably, BDP-S was successfully used for imaging Cys in living cells and in vivo. Consequently, this work provided a hopefully powerful tool for detecting Cys in food samples and complex biological systems.