Quantitative MRI analysis of structural changes in tomato tissues resulting from dehydration

Abstract

A quantitative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) analysis at 1.5T of the effects of different dehydration regimes on transverse relaxation parameters measured in tomato tissue is presented. Multi-exponential T 2 maps have been estimated for the first time, providing access to spatialized microstructural information at voxel scale. The objective was to provide a better understanding of the changes in the multi-exponential transverse relaxation parameters induced by dehydration in tomato tissues and to unravel the effects of microstructure and composition on relaxation parameters. The results led to the hypothesis that the multi-exponential relaxation signal reflects cell compartmentation and tissue heterogeneity, even at the voxel scale. Multi-exponential relaxation times provided information about water loss from specific cell compartments and seem to indicate that the dehydration process mainly affects

Characterization of Potato Tuber Tissues Using Spatialized MRI T2 Relaxometry

“…To gain a better insight into the microstructure of plant tissues, the relaxation signal measured in each voxel can also be modeled by a multi-exponential decay, which corresponds to the sum of the signals of the water protons in different environments. These water pools have generally been assumed to reflect subcellular compartmentalization [1] and/or heterogeneity of the tissue [5,6], assuming that the diffusive exchange of water between the compartments which partially averages their relaxation signals can be disregarded. MRI can thus be used to access information on water status and distribution at the cellular and tissue levels.…”