In vivo visualization of Tradescantia leaf tissue and monitoring the physiological and morphological states under different water supply conditions using optical coherence tomography.

The optical coherence tomography (OCT) capabilities of plants were evaluated using leaves of Tradescantia pallida (Rose) D. Hunt. The internal structure of the leaf tissues was visualized in vivo and the physiological and morphological states of the tissues under different water supply conditions were monitored using OCT. The OCT technique provides non-invasive two-dimensional images directly on intact plants. The acquisition time of a two-dimensional image with a size of 200x200 pixels and a spatial resolution of 15 microm is 1-3 s. It was shown that OCT is a useful tool for monitoring the physiological and morphological states of plant tissues supplied with varying amounts of water and under the influence of different chemical factors.