Chiang Mai Journal of Science

     Germination of sesame seeds in acidic and indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) liquid mediums was investigated using single pulse ¹H spectroscopy and chemical shift selection imaging. The spectra and images demonstrated high correlation and reliability. Chemical shift selection imaging allowed for an intuitive comprehension of the dynamic distribution of metabolites and structural changes during germination, leading to a clearer understanding of IAA’s regulation on sesame metabolites, when combined with ¹H spectra. Results showed that exogenous hormones accelerated the decomposition of lipid macromolecules before rapid radicle growth, while IAA delayed sesame development at this stage. However, post-growth delay, the addition of IAA effectively accelerated germination. This study confirms that ¹H spectroscopy and chemical shift selection imaging can interpret the metabolic response of plants to the change in their internal physiological state and help to determine the optimal time to add IAA.