A robust H2O2-responsive AIEgen with multiple-task performance: Achieving food analysis, visualization of dual organelles and diagnosis of liver injury

Abstract

Drug- and alcohol-induced liver injury poses a serious threat to human health with long-lasting clinical, social and economic consequences. As a reactive oxygen species (ROS), hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) is widely-used as a molecular biomarker of liver injury. H₂O₂ is also utilized as a processing aid in the food industry. Therefore, monitoring the levels of H₂O₂ in liver and food samples is important for disease diagnosis and food safety demanding the development of efficient sensing and visualization tools. To address this challenge, we report a novel aggregation-induced emission (AIE) fluorescent probe for detecting H₂O₂ named TVQ-B, featuring near-infrared (NIR) emission (740 nm), large Stokes shift (195 nm), fast response time and high selectivity. Interestingly, H₂O₂ can activate the dual organelles targeting ability of TVQ-B for mitochondria and lipid droplets, enabling dual-channel imaging of H₂O₂. Importantly, the TVQ-B probe has been successfully used to monitor H₂O₂ in food samples, living cells, zebrafish and mice. This fluorescence imaging approach using endogenous H₂O₂ as a marker provides a robust and convenient diagnostic protocol for drug- and alcohol-induced liver injury. Based on this protocol, TVQ-B-based visualization provided potent evidence for the therapeutic efficacy of natural flavonolignan silybin for the reduction of negative effects of alcohol consumption.