A fluorescent probe for detecting carboxylesterase level on investigating Chinese medicine water decoction efficacy

In this work, a fluorescent probe ImPI-CE with the imidazo-pyridin-isovanillin sub-structure was developed and studied for monitoring the Carboxylesterase (CE) level in colorectal cells on evaluating the Chinese medicine water decoction efficacy. The advantages of ImPI-CE included rapid response, high stability, high sensitivity, high selectivity, and reliable anti-interference. The most significant challenging point here was the biological efficacy-based test and the imaging in colorectal scenario which were both suitable for the international recognition of Chinese medicine water decoction. In particular, ImPI-CE achieved the stable monitoring of multiple Chinese medicine water decoction samples. It was able to imaging the CE level in both the inhibition and activation situations in living colorectal cells. ImPI-CE also realized the intracellular biological efficacy-based investigation of both the separate and combination Chinese medicine water decoction samples. The findings were beneficial for the international recognition of Chinese medicine.