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@ARTICLE{Agarwal:1041664,
author = {Agarwal, Avinash and de Jesus Colwell, Filipe and Correa
Galvis, Viviana Andrea and Hill, Tom R. and Boonham, Neil
and Prashar, Ankush},
title = {{A}ssessing nutritional pigment content of green and red
leafy vegetables by image analysis: {C}atching the “red
herring” of plant digital color processing via machine
learning},
journal = {Biology methods $\&$ protocols},
volume = {10},
number = {1},
issn = {2396-8923},
publisher = {Oxford University Press},
reportid = {FZJ-2025-02369},
pages = {bpaf027},
year = {2025},
abstract = {Estimating pigment content of leafy vegetables via digital
image analysis is a reliable method for high-throughput
assessment of their nutritional value. However, the current
leaf color analysis models developed using green-leaved
plants fail to perform reliably while analyzing images of
anthocyanin (Anth)-rich red-leaved varieties due to
misleading or “red herring” trends. Hence, the present
study explores the potential for machine learning (ML)-based
estimation of nutritional pigment content for green and red
leafy vegetables simultaneously using digital color
features. For this, images of n = 320 samples from six
types of leafy vegetables with varying pigment profiles were
acquired using a smartphone camera, followed by
extract-based estimation of chlorophyll (Chl), carotenoid
(Car), and Anth. Subsequently, three ML methods, viz.,
Partial Least Squares Regression (PLSR), Support Vector
Regression (SVR), and Random Forest Regression (RFR), were
tested for predicting pigment contents using RGB (Red,
Green, Blue), HSV (Hue, Saturation, Value), and L*a*b*
(Lightness, Redness-greenness, Yellowness-blueness) datasets
individually and in combination. Chl and Car contents were
predicted most accurately using the combined colorimetric
dataset via SVR (R2 = 0.738) and RFR (R2 = 0.573),
respectively. Conversely, Anth content was predicted most
accurately using SVR with HSV data (R2 = 0.818). While Chl
and Car could be predicted reliably for green-leaved and
Anth-rich samples, Anth could be estimated accurately only
for Anth-rich samples due to Anth masking by Chl in
green-leaved samples. Thus, the present findings demonstrate
the scope of implementing ML-based leaf color analysis for
assessing the nutritional pigment content of red and green
leafy vegetables in tandem.},
cin = {IBG-2},
ddc = {570},
cid = {I:(DE-Juel1)IBG-2-20101118},
pnm = {2171 - Biological and environmental resources for
sustainable use (POF4-217)},
pid = {G:(DE-HGF)POF4-2171},
typ = {PUB:(DE-HGF)16},
pubmed = {40336971},
UT = {WOS:001483470400001},
doi = {10.1093/biomethods/bpaf027},
url = {https://juser.fz-juelich.de/record/1041664},
}