In vivo quantitative NMR imaging of fruit tissues during growth using Spoiled Gradient Echo sequence

Area of Science:

• Plant Physiology
• Biophysics
• Agricultural Science

Background:

• Nondestructive studies of physiological processes in agronomic products require high spatial and temporal resolutions.
• Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) imaging offers non-invasive physiological and morphological information on biological tissues.
• Accurate quantification of water transport in fruits is crucial for understanding plant physiology.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design a quantitative measurement method for mapping and quantifying water transport in growing cherry tomato fruits using NMR imaging and a contrast agent (CA).
• To evaluate the potential of NMR imaging coupled with a biocompatible CA as a tool in plant physiology research.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a multiple flip-angle Spoiled Gradient Echo (SGE) imaging sequence to map intrinsic parameters (M0 and T1) of tomato fruit tissues.
• Employed Gd(3+)/[Fe(CN)6](3-)/D-mannitol nanoparticles as a tracer for monitoring water transport and flow paths.
• Applied compartmental modeling for dynamic analysis of water movement within the fruits.

Main Results:

• The contrast agent preferentially accumulated in the columella and seed envelope tissues of the cherry tomato fruits.
• Quantified water transport: 198 mg total quantity and 1.76 mm(3)/h average volume flow for the columella.
• Quantified water transport: 326 mg total quantity and 2.91 mm(3)/h average volume flow for the seed envelopes.

Conclusions:

• NMR imaging combined with an efficient and biocompatible contrast agent provides a robust method for quantifying water transport in plant tissues.
• This technique has the potential to become a significant tool for advancing research in plant physiology.
• The study successfully mapped and quantified water flow dynamics in growing cherry tomato fruits non-invasively.