Abstract
Plants are widely used in traditional medicine, but could be detrimental to patients, due to the presence of some harmful substances such as calcium oxalate (CaOx) C2CaO4 crystals. The presence, morphology and distribution of CaOx crystals were investigated in 60 wild, herbal plant species from the Al Qussim Region, Saudi Arabia. This was done via light microscopy of transverse sections of stems and leaves using light microscopy. Different types of CaOx crystals were found in only 24 of the plant species studied, the rest had no CaOx crystals. The stems of 12 plant species under study contained different types of CaOx crystals, with crystal sand being the most common. In the leaves of four plant species, druses and solitary crystals were the most frequently found types. In addition, eight species had different types of crystals in their respective stems and leaves. Rumex vesicarius had the most crystals in both its stems and leaves from all investigated species, followed by Asphodelus tenuifolius. Key words: Ca-oxalate crystals, light microscope, plant leaves, stems, Al Qussim Region.
Highlights
Calcium oxalate (CaOx) crystals frequently occur in higher plants (plants of relatively complex or advanced characteristics, especially vascular plants, including flowering plants and gymnosperms (Hudgins et al, 2003)
Druses and styloids were observed in stem epidermal cells, pith cells, and leaf mesophyll cells of Vernonia amydaline (Asteracae) (Nwosu et al, 2013), while rhomboidal crystals were found in axial parenchyma and multiseriate ray cells of the secondary xylem of Quercus species (Fagaceae) (Serdar and Demiray, 2012)
Sixty herbal plant species from the Al Qussim Region in Saudi Arabia were randomly selected from 150 plant species collected in spring of 2018 to be screened for the presence of calcium oxalate (CaOx) crystals
Summary
Calcium oxalate (CaOx) crystals frequently occur in higher plants (plants of relatively complex or advanced characteristics, especially vascular plants, including flowering plants and gymnosperms (Hudgins et al, 2003). Calcium oxalate crystals are present in most plant organs including roots, stems, leaves and seeds (Ilarslan, 2001). These crystals were generally widely distributed in the mesophyll and epidermal cells of leaves (Franceschi and Horner, 1980), as well as in the stem cortex and pith cells (Doaigey, 1991). These crystals occur in a variety of defined shapes. Druses and styloids were observed in stem epidermal cells, pith cells, and leaf mesophyll cells of Vernonia amydaline (Asteracae) (Nwosu et al, 2013), while rhomboidal crystals were found in axial parenchyma and multiseriate ray cells of the secondary xylem of Quercus species (Fagaceae) (Serdar and Demiray, 2012)
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