Mass spectrometry imaging for phytochemical analysis
Citations
Altmetric:
Video URL
Date
2026-12-31
Author
Collections
Abstract
Gaining insight into the presence and localization of phytochemicals in plants is crucial in the context of plant physiology and plants' responses to various biotic and abiotic stresses. Moreover, this information is also crucial in understanding the quality of herbal medicines and plant foods. In light of this, mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) is an emerging tool in phytochemical analysis. In this chapter, the technical aspects of MSI techniques in general are discussed, along with their applications in phytochemical analysis. The commonly used MSI techniques and details of sample preparation in MSI analysis are also captured. MSI provides detailed visual distribution maps of hundreds of plant metabolites across a sample with high sensitivity, subcellular spatial resolution, and minimal sample preparation. Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization MSI (MALDI-MSI) is the most frequently used technique in phytochemical analysis, followed by desorption electrospray ionization mass spectrometry imaging. So far, MSI techniques have been successfully used for the visualization of structural polysaccharides, primary metabolites (sugars, fatty acids, lipids, amino acids, peptides, proteins, and plant hormones), and secondary metabolites (phenolics, alkaloids, terpenoids, etc.). However, MSI still has not yet reached its full potential in terms of applications in phytochemical analysis.