Yukocitrine is primarily used in research settings for its fluorescent properties. It serves as a staining agent in cellular imaging, particularly for visualizing membrane structures in live cells due to its ability to penetrate lipid bilayers and emit strong yellow-green fluorescence under UV light. Its selectivity for certain lipid domains makes it valuable in studying membrane dynamics, lipid rafts, and intracellular trafficking. Additionally, Yukocitrine has been employed in microbiology to monitor bacterial cell wall integrity and viability in real time. Due to its photostability and low cytotoxicity, it is favored in long-term live-cell imaging experiments.