Shape Of Calcium Oxalate Crystals Research Articles

Taxonomic significance of leaves in family Aizoaceae.

Aizoaceae is one of the most important and widespread succulent plant families in both tropical/subtropical regions and arid zones. In this study, 27 species were collected from various floristic regions in Egypt, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and cactus farms (Kalupia – Egypt). The morphological characteristics of every taxon were recorded. The important morphological features included: the number of leaves per plant; leaf types; leaf position (cauline or radical; the latter indicates leaves arising from, or near, the roots); leaf arrangement; petiolate or sessile leaves; leaf sheath present or absent; leaf shape; leaf margin; leaf tip; presence of leaf ‘window area’; leaf texture; and presence of white or dark miniscule dots (white miniscule dots from calcium carbonate and dark miniscule dots from tannin sacs). The investigated anatomical features were as follows: shape of the transverse section; the type of epidermal cells; the presence of large epidermal cells (bladder cells); presence of papilla and simple hairs; presence of tannin sacs; shapes of calcium oxalate crystals; shape of the xylem vessels; and the presence of Kranz unit (the unit that constitutes the vascular bundle/s, parenchyma sheath, and surrounding mesophyll) or collenchyma sheath. All data were recorded in a data matrix (as either text or numerical data), which was used to construct the identification key and phylogeny tree using a multi-variate statistical package. The results of our analysis may open the possibility of using the morphological and anatomical features of leaves to distinguish between the subfamilies, genera, and species of Aizoaceae.

Isolation and characterization of biogenic calcium oxalate crystals from Amorphophallus paeoniifolius

Amorphophallus paeoniifolius known as elephant foot yam is an underutilized tuberous food crop grown primarily in Africa, South Asia, and tropical Pacific islands. Aim of the present work was to isolate, identify and study various physicochemical characteristics of calcium oxalate crystals present in elephant foot yam. The calcium oxalate crystals from elephant foot yam were isolated using freeze thawing followed by aqueous extraction method. The optimum isolation conditions for maximum calcium oxalate yield was found as grinding time of 12.5 min, solid to liquid ratio of 1:2, temperature of 50 °C, grinding speed of 2000 rpm and 3 extraction cycles. Morphological characteristics of isolated calcium oxide crystals were studied using Scanning Electron Microscope and the presence of calcium oxalate crystals in the form of whewellite was confirmed. The purity of isolated calcium oxalate crystals was confirmed using Energy Dispersive x-ray Spectroscopy. The spherical and oval shapes of calcium oxalate crystals were confirmed using Transmission Electron Microscope. X-Ray Diffraction analysis has confirmed the tetragonal phase structure of isolated calcium oxalate crystals with good crystal stability. Calcium oxalate crystals from elephant foot yam were found stable at 175 °C using Thermal Gravimetric and Differential Scanning Calorimetric analysis.

Morpho-anatomy of native species used as substitute of quina (Cinchona spp.) in Brazilian traditional medicine: Esenbeckia febrifuga

Esenbeckia febrifuga (A.St.-Hil.) A. Juss. ex Mart., Rutaceae, is known by several popular names including quina-do-mato. This name is a reference to the use of its bark as febrifuge and in the past was employed as a substitute of Cinchona sp. for treatment of malaria symptoms. This confusion may have been reinforced by the fact that the bark of these plants are similar in appearance and have a bitter taste. In view thereof this study presents the description morphological and anatomical and the histochemistry of the stem bark and contributes to the pharmacobotanical study of plant drugs identified as Brazilian quinas, in sequence to two others studies. Compared with the Cinchona species, the prismatic shape of calcium oxalate crystals and the fibers with adornate end walls proved to be the main characteristics for differentiation.

Distribution of calcium oxalate crystals in some Nigerian species of Aneilema R. Br. (Commelinaceae)

The distribution pattern of calcium oxalate crystals in the leaf, stem, and root of four Nigerian species of Aneilema was investigated and reported for the first time. The histochemically localised crystals of calcium oxalate varied in shape and region of localisation depending on the vegetative part of these Aneilema species. In the leaf of these taxa, crystals were found in the basal cells of trichomes (A aequinoctiale, A. beniniense and A. umbrosum) and in the mesophyll region of the lamina. Variations in shape were apparent in the stem: rhomboidal (A. aequinoctiale and A. beniniense) and irregular (A. paludosum and A. umbrosum). The diversity in localisation and shape of calcium oxalate crystals among these investigated species of Aneilema is discussed in relation to their biological significance.

グリコサミノグリカンによる蓚酸カルシウム結晶形態変化に及ぼすマグネシウムの影響

Our previous report has shown that the shapes of calcium oxalate crystals formed in a supersaturated solution with glycosaminoglycan varied with glycosaminoglycan species. The present study was conducted to demonstrate the effect of magnesium on the shapes of calcium oxalate crystals with glycosaminoglycan by optical and scanning electron microscopy. In the presence of magnesium, the phenomenon of the plate- or sheet-like crystals parallel growing on the surface of other crystals was observed with each glycosaminoglycan and was enhanced with hyaluronic acid, chondroitin sulfate, heparan sulfate or heparin, more marked in this order. On the other hand, with heparan sulfate or heparin the stratification of the plate-like crystals was observed, whereas with hyaluronic acid or chondroitin sulfate it was not observed. Moreover, the stratification of the crystals with heparin was stimulated more markedly with increasing magnesium concentrations, and the lamella-shaped crystals at low heparin concentrations in the presence of magnesium was similar to the crystals at high heparin concentrations. These results suggest that magnesium stimulates the effect of glycosaminoglycan on calcium oxalate crystal shapes.

グリコサミノグリカンスの蓚酸カルシウム結晶形成に対する作用

The effect of glycosaminoglycans on calcium oxalate crystal formation in the supersaturated solution was studied by examining the size and shape of calcium oxalate crystals generated under an optical microscope. It was found that heparan sulfate and heparin were more effective growth inhibitors than chondroitin sulfate and hyaluronic acid at concentrations within their respective urinary range. With increasing calcium and/or glycosaminoglycans concentration in the solution, the degree of growth inhibition caused by glycosaminoglycans was enhanced. Calcium oxalate crystal shapes generated with various glycosaminoglycans varied with glycosaminoglycan species. One of the causes of those differences in the shape and degree of growth inhibition might be the structural differences between them, that is, the number of sulfate residue and O- or N-form they contain. Calcium oxalate crystal shapes in the presence of heparin or heparan sulfate at higher concentrations were similar to those of calcium oxalate monohydrate crystals in the urinary sediments of hyperoxaluric patients. These facts might suggest the possibility that heparin and/or heparan sulfate were present in the crystal forming region.