An insight into the in vivo imaging potential of curcumin analogues as fluorescence probes

Curcumin and its derivatives have good electrical and optical properties due to the highly symmetric structure of delocalized pi electrons. Apart from that, curcumin and its derivatives can interact with numerous molecular targets, thereby exerting less side effects on human body. The fluorescence emission wavelength and fluorescence intensity of curcumin can be enhanced by modifying its pi-conjugated system and beta-diketone structure. Some curcumin-based fluorescent probes have been utilized to detect soluble/insoluble amyloid-beta protein, intracranial reactive oxygen species, cysteine, cancer cells, etc. Based on the binding characteristics of curcumin-based fluorescent probes with various target molecules, the factors affecting the fluorescence intensity and emission wavelength of the probes are analyzed, in order to obtain a curcumin probe with higher sensitivity and selectivity. Such an approach will be greatly applicable to in vivo fluorescence imaging. (C) 2020 Shenyang Pharmaceutical University. Published by Elsevier B.V.