Non-invasive Raman spectroscopy for monitoring metabolite changes in tomato plants infected by phytoplasma

Year: 2025

Authors: Pandolfi L., Miotti N., Faglia G., Pennacchio C., Ponzoni A., Ciuffo M., Palmano S., Schillaci M., Gobbi E., Turina M., Baratto C.

Autors Affiliation: Natl Res Council Natl Inst Opt CNR INO, Via Branze 45, I-25123 Brescia, Italy; Natl Res Council Inst Sustainable Plant Protect IP, Str Cacce 73, I-10135 Turin, Italy; Univ Brescia, Dept Informat Engn, Via Branze 38, I-25123 Brescia, Italy; Univ Brescia, Dept Mol & Translat Med, Viale Europa 11, I-25123 Brescia, Italy.

Abstract: The increasing demand for food production requires innovative approaches to protect crops from pathogens that significantly reduce yield and quality. Phytoplasmas, persistent bacterial pathogens transmitted by phloem-feeding insects, cause severe damage to economically important crops, including tomato plants. Early detection of these pathogens can be crucial considering that traditional molecular diagnostic methods, such as polymerase chain reaction (PCR), often fail during early infection stages due to low pathogen concentrations. In this study, we explore the use of Raman spectroscopy as a rapid, non-invasive tool for monitoring alterations in plant metabolites caused by Candidatus Phytoplasma solani infection in tomato plants. Grafting experiments were performed, and Raman spectra were collected at different time intervals post-infection. Changes in the spectral intensities of chlorophyll, carotenoids, and polyphenols were identified as early as two weeks post-infection, prior to the pathogen’s detectability by molecular methods. These findings highlight the potential of Raman spectroscopy to fill the diagnostic gap in the early stages of phytoplasma infections, offering a window for timely intervention and a further tool in precision agriculture.

Journal/Review: ANALYTICAL METHODS

Volume: 17 (24)      Pages from: 5062  to: 5068

More Information: This study was supported by European Union-Next Generation EU M4C2 1.1 under Grant PRIN 2022JZAA9W-SENSEPLANET and by the Agritech National Research Center funded by the European Union Next-Generation EU (Piano Nazionale di Ripresa e Resilienza (PNRR) – Missione 4 Componente 2, Investimento 1.4 – D.D. 1032 17/06/2022, CN00000022).
KeyWords: Carotenoids; Chlorophyll; Phytoplasma; Plant Diseases; Polyphenols; Solanum lycopersicum; Spectrum Analysis, Raman
DOI: 10.1039/d5ay00293a