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Updated: Mar 25, 2026

Leaf Spray Mass Spectrometry: A Rapid Ambient Ionization Technique to Directly Assess Metabolites from Plant Tissues
Published on: June 21, 2018
Sample Preparation for Mass Spectrometry Imaging of Plant Tissues: A Review
Yonghui Dong1, Bin Li2, Sergey Malitsky3
1Biostatistics and Data Management, Research and Innovation Centre - Fondazione Edmund MachS. Michele all'Adige, Italy; Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Weizmann Institute of ScienceRehovot, Israel.
Abstract:
Mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) is a mass spectrometry based molecular ion imaging technique. It provides the means for ascertaining the spatial distribution of a large variety of analytes directly on tissue sample surfaces without any labeling or staining agents. These advantages make it an attractive molecular histology tool in medical, pharmaceutical, and biological research. Likewise, MSI has started gaining popularity in plant sciences; yet, information regarding sample preparation methods for plant tissues is still limited. Sample preparation is a crucial step that is directly associated with the quality and authenticity of the imaging results, it therefore demands in-depth studies based on the characteristics of plant samples. In this review, a sample preparation pipeline is discussed in detail and illustrated through selected practical examples. In particular, special concerns regarding sample preparation for plant imaging are critically evaluated. Finally, the applications of MSI techniques in plants are reviewed according to different classes of plant metabolites.
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