Application of mass spectrometry for imaging the distribution of primary and secondary metabolites in the storage root of red radish

The radish (Raphanus sativus L.) is one of the most widely cultivated vegetables in the world, as it is rich in a variety of metabolites essential for human nutrition and health. The distribution of low molecular weight metabolites, including amino acids, sugars, fatty acids, sterol, organic acids, vitamins, gibberellins, glucosinolates and their breakdown products, phenols, and flavonoids was studied in cross-section of small red radish storage root using mass spectrometry imaging (MSI). The analysis was performed with the aid of silver-109 nanoparticles (109AgNPs), which were sputtered onto the imprint of the radish cross-section on a steel plate. The biological functions and health-promoting roles of the compounds studied are also discussed.