Occurrence, type and location of calcium oxalate crystals in selected medicinal plants

Abstract

Crystals in selected medical plants growing naturally in Place palayam reserve forest, Thiruvallur District were studied with Polarised light microscope. Four types of crystals were observed: druses, prismatics, raphide and rosettes crystal. Druses more in cortical parenchyma and ground parenchyma cells in the stem & petiole region. In contrast prismatic, raphide and rosettes present in cortical, ground, axial and phloem parenchyma in the roots and stems. The Preliminary results show the presence of four types of calcium oxalate crystals in the stems, Petiole & roots of 10 Species: Achyranthes aspera, Aerva lanata, Atalantia monophylla, Bridelia Crenulata presence of Druses crystal, Plumeria rubra, Adhatoda zeylanica presence of prismatic crystal, Asparagus racemosus, Monochoria vaginalis presence of raphide crystal and Carica papaya and Carissa spinarum presence of rosette type of crystal. These observations indicate that there is relationship between the distribution of calcium oxalate crystals and the medicinal parts of the plant and supports the view that the presence of calcium oxalate crystals may relate to the adulterants.