Peer-reviewedCC BY 4.0Frontiers in Plant Science19 Oct 2026

An in vivo fluorescence imaging approach for real-time monitoring of ROS-associated oxidative responses in harvested lettuce leaves

Mohamed Hawali Bata Gouda^1,2,3,4
Christophe B. Y. Cordella^1,3,5
Arturo Duarte-Sierra^1,2,3,4

5 affiliations

¹Food Science Department, Laval University
²Centre de Recherche en Science du Végétal (Centre SÈVE), Sherbrooke University
³Institute of Nutrition and Functional Foods (INAF), Laval University
⁴Center for Research in Plant Innovation (CRIV), Laval University
⁵Laboratoire de Recherche et de Traitement de l'Information Chimiosensorielle (LARTIC), Laval University

Abstract

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) play a key role in postharvest quality and senescence of fresh produce, yet their real-time monitoring in intact tissues remains challenging. In this study, we developed and evaluated an in vivo fluorescence imaging approach for monitoring ROS dynamics in whole harvested lettuce leaves using the ROS-sensitive probe 2’, 7’-dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate (H ₂ DCF-DA). The stability of the probe and the sensitivity of the imaging system were first assessed under a tissue-free condition. Subsequently, the method was applied to whole lettuce leaves subjected to exogenous hydrogen peroxide (H ₂ O ₂ ) or ultraviolet-C (UV-C) irradiations at doses of 0.85, 1.71 and 3.42 kj/m ² . A strong and stable fluorescence signal in the presence of H ₂ O ₂ under tissue-free conditions was observed, confirming probe reactivity and the system detection sensitivity. Exogenous H ₂ O ₂ application in whole lettuce leaves, resulted in a progressive increase in ROS-associated fluorescence, whereas UV-C irradiation induced a rapid and dose-dependent fluorescence response followed by a gradual decline, indicative of a transient oxidative burst and subsequent redox regulation. These findings demonstrate that in vivo fluorescence imaging is a sensitive and non-invasive tool for real-time monitoring of ROS in harvested produce. This approach offers new perspectives for investigating oxidative stress dynamics relevant to postharvest quality management of fruits and vegetables.

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Cite

BibTeX RIS

BibTeX

@article{gouda2026vivo,
  title = {{An in vivo fluorescence imaging approach for real-time monitoring of ROS-associated oxidative responses in harvested lettuce leaves}},
  author = {Mohamed Hawali Bata Gouda and Christophe B. Y. Cordella and Arturo Duarte-Sierra},
  journal = {Frontiers in Plant Science},
  year = {2026},
  month = oct,
  doi = {10.3389/fpls.2026.1923387},
  url = {https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpls.2026.1923387/full},
  note = {CC BY 4.0},
}

RIS

TY  - JOUR
TI  - An in vivo fluorescence imaging approach for real-time monitoring of ROS-associated oxidative responses in harvested lettuce leaves
AU  - Mohamed Hawali Bata Gouda
AU  - Christophe B. Y. Cordella
AU  - Arturo Duarte-Sierra
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/10/19
JO  - Frontiers in Plant Science
DO  - 10.3389/fpls.2026.1923387
UR  - https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpls.2026.1923387/full
AB  - Reactive oxygen species (ROS) play a key role in postharvest quality and senescence of fresh produce, yet their real-time monitoring in intact tissues remains challenging. In this study, we developed and evaluated an in vivo fluorescence imaging approach for monitoring ROS dynamics in whole harvested lettuce leaves using the ROS-sensitive probe 2’, 7’-dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate (H ₂ DCF-DA). The stability of the probe and the sensitivity of the imaging system were first assessed under a tissue-free condition. Subsequently, the method was applied to whole lettuce leaves subjected to exogenous hydrogen peroxide (H ₂ O ₂ ) or ultraviolet-C (UV-C) irradiations at doses of 0.85, 1.71 and 3.42 kj/m ² . A strong and stable fluorescence signal in the presence of H ₂ O ₂ under tissue-free conditions was observed, confirming probe reactivity and the system detection sensitivity. Exogenous H ₂ O ₂ application in whole lettuce leaves, resulted in a progressive increase in ROS-associated fluorescence, whereas UV-C irradiation induced a rapid and dose-dependent fluorescence response followed by a gradual decline, indicative of a transient oxidative burst and subsequent redox regulation. These findings demonstrate that in vivo fluorescence imaging is a sensitive and non-invasive tool for real-time monitoring of ROS in harvested produce. This approach offers new perspectives for investigating oxidative stress dynamics relevant to postharvest quality management of fruits and vegetables.
SN  - 1664-462X
ER  -

Abstract

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