Cellular metabolic activity marker via selective turn-ON detection of serum albumin using an NBD-based fluoroprobe

A nitrobenzoxadiazole-based fluoroprobe (NBD-Bu) is designed to probe cellular metabolic activity in cancer and normal cells. NBD-Bu shows a significant fluorescence enhancement upon selective binding to serum albumin. The site specificity of NBD-Bu has been explored through a competitive displacement assay in the presence of site-specific markers such as warfarin and ibuprofen. Subsequently, high-resolution fluorescence microscopy results consolidated the potential of NBD-Bu for cellular imaging and detection of abnormal cellular metabolic activity.