MALDI Mass spectrometry imaging of metabolites in cereal grains and legumes: repurposing for industrial applications
Date
2025
Authors
Lau, D.
Donnellan, L.
Briggs, M.
Klingler Hoffmann, M.
Hoffmann, P.
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Journal article
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Food Reviews International, 2025; 41(4):1200-1221
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Abstract
Cereal grains and legumes are major sources of health-promoting nutrients in our daily diet and key ingredients in food production. However, they are also subjected to contamination by foreign substances such as mycotoxins, pesticides, and acrylamide. Analytical techniques and methods for detecting and quantifying metabolites in plants such as mass spectrometry are well-established, but disregard spatial information. In contrast, matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionisation mass spectrometry imaging (MALDI-MSI) is a powerful technique to study the spatial distribution of molecules within plant tissues, providing valuable insights into plant biology and physiology. To date, the translation of this technology into industrial applications is seldom explored. This review article introduces how MALDI-MSI can revolutionise traditional approaches to study the distribution of metabolites in cereal grains and legumes. The principles in a typical MALDI-MSI workflow, particularly sample preparation of plant tissues, were discussed. This review article also explores previous implementations of MALDI-MSI in ag-food research, and the opportunities it presents for seed crop industrial applications. This can open the gates for technological advances to improve food analysis, processing and regulatory systems in the grain and legume industry.
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Copyright 2024 The author(s) (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)
Access Condition Notes: This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives License