Fluorescent property of glycol chitosan-fluorescein isothiocyanate conjugate for bio-imaging material.

Bio-imaging is an effective method for visualizing the biological responses and pharmacological responses in living organisms. In general, bio-imaging materials stain the cell membrane through electrostatic interaction and hydrogen bonding. However, the current commercial bio-imaging materials have several disadvantages, such as weak intensity, poor resolution, and high price. In this study, a novel bio-imaging material with high fluorescent intensity and water solubility was prepared using glycol chitosan. The chemical reaction between the amino group of glycol chitosan (GC) and the isothiocyanate group of fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) was monitored in order to synthesize glycol chitosan-fluorescein isothiocyanate (GC-FITC) conjugate. Then, the applicability of GC-FITC as a bio-imaging candidate was examined by comparing the fluorescence intensity of GC-FITC with that of commercial bio-imaging materials (dextran-FITC and BSA-FITC).