A new water-soluble fluororeactand for the optical detection of saccharides is presented. We have combined the functional naphthalimide fluorophore with the well-known ability of boronic acids to bind to the diol moiety of saccharides. The fluororeactand exhibits sensitivity in the mM range, absorbance and emission in the visible spectral range, large Stokes' shift and fluorescence increase in the physiological pH range.