A coumarin-based small molecular fluorescent probe for detection of the freshness of meat and shrimp

A coumarin-based fluorescent probe (Probe 1) was developed for detection of the freshness of shrimp, beef, and chicken breast. The probe solution changes from yellow-green to blue, and the fluorescence intensity of the probe solution has a linear correlation with ammonia concentration at an emission wavelength of 532 nm, and the detection limit of for ammonia is 0.652 μM. Furthermore, the colour of the test paper gradually changes from yellow-green to dark blue with the increase of ammonia concentration in air. Importantly, the probe test paper was successfully used to detect the freshness of meat. When the probe test paper and meat food are stored in the same confined space, if the B value of a photo of the test paper under a 365 nm ultraviolet lamp is increasing to be greater than the G value, the food are determined spoiled. The price of each piece of probe test paper is $ 0.00060. Therefore, this probe test paper is low-cost, convenient to use, and can conveniently indicate the time of meat deterioration.