Infrared Laser-Based Selected Reaction Monitoring Mass Spectrometry Imaging of Banana (Musa spp.) Tissue—New Method for Detection and Spatial Localization of Metabolites in Food

Abstract

In this study, for the first time, we present the application of an infrared (IR) laser ablation-remote-electrospray ionization (LARESI) platform coupled to a tandem mass spectrometer (MS/MS) operated in selected reaction monitoring (SRM) mode for targeted metabolite imaging in intact plant tissues. We examined the distribution of specific metabolites in two banana varieties: Red Dacca and Cavendish. To support MSI results, an extensive analysis of banana tissue extracts was conducted using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography and ultra-high-resolution mass spectrometry (UHPLC-UHRMS). In the Cavendish banana, 12 metabolites were successfully identified, while Red Dacca bananas were found to contain 16 amino acids. The spatial distribution of some of these compounds found in bananas was presented for the first time. This approach eliminates the need for high vacuum conditions and the pretreatment of biological materials, making it an efficient and promising tool for studying metabolites in plant tissues.