Aggregation-induced emission in natural product research: Recent advances and future perspectives

Abstract

Natural product research plays a crucial role in life sciences and chemistry, serving as a valuable reservoir for drug discovery and driving biomedical advancements. Fluorescence-based techniques, known for their high sensitivity to fluorescence signal changes, are widely applied in bioactivity screening and drug delivery. However, traditional fluorophores often suffer from aggregation-caused quenching (ACQ), significantly limiting their practical applications. In contrast, aggregation-induced emission (AIE) materials, a novel class of fluorophores, exhibit weak fluorescence in their dispersed state but emit strong fluorescence upon aggregation, effectively overcoming the ACQ limitation. This review highlights recent advances in AIE technology for natural product research, emphasizing its applications in bioactive compound screening, drug delivery, and quality control. AIE probes, owing to their high sensitivity, excellent selectivity, and rapid response, have emerged as ideal chemical and biological sensors in natural product research. Notably, these probes also hold considerable potential for development into portable devices for the on-site detection of natural products, including traditional Chinese medicines. These advancements would expand their applications, improving accessibility and utility, while advancing both medical and chemical sciences.