A Near-infrared Fluorescent Probe for Sensitive Detection of Viscosity in Biosystems and Beverages Spoilage

Viscosity is a key parameter for the quality of liquid foods and is also closely related to the occurrence of various diseases in biological systems. Therefore, real-time monitoring of microviscosity changes in food and intracellular is of great significance. In this paper, a near-infrared viscosity probe (CDM) was exploited, which enables highly specific and sensitive monitoring of viscosity changes in food and intracellular environments. The CDM exhibits a 27-fold enhancement in fluorescence intensity under high-viscosity conditions, demonstrating excellent sensitivity and selectivity, along with superior photostability and biocompatibility. Probe CDM was applied to monitor the viscosity changes induced by Nystatin and Momantin in liver cancer cells and effectively monitored the dynamic changes of intracellular viscosity in APAP-induced liver injury. Furthermore, this probe has successfully measured the viscosity changes of two different juices during spoilage. These research results indicate that CDM can serve as a novel analytical method for monitoring the viscosity changes of beverage spoilage during the spoilage process, and also as a reliable tool for early diagnosis of liver diseases and exploration of their underlying pathogenesis.