Imaging the K, Mg, Na and Ca Distributions in Flax Seeds using SIMS Microscopy

Taking advantage of the sensitivity, the lateral resolution and the ability of secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) for elemental imaging, we have shown that the main alkaline and alkaline‐earth cations exhibited clear‐cut regionalization in flax seeds. Calcium, and even more magnesium were almost exclusively located within the protein bodies (PBs); and they were practically absent from the tissue areas with no PBs, such as the provascular tissue. By contrast, sodium was almost exclusively located outside the PBs; moreover, most of the seed sodium was in the tissues at the seed periphery (chiefly the teguments). Among the studied cations, potassium was the only one with a non‐negligible concentration both in and outside the PBs.