Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott (Wild Taro): Calcium Oxalate Crystals in Leaf and Petiole Using Light Microscopy, Scanning Electron Microscopy and Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy
Main Article Content
Abstract
Calcium oxalate (CaOX) is commonly found in Thai herbs and in wild taro. CaOX is claimed to be a cause of kidney stones in humans who consume plants that contain CaOX. The aim of this study was to investigate the presence of CaOX crystals in leaf and petiole parts of C. esculenta using a light microscope, a scanning electron microscope and an energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometer. Various shapes of CaOX crystal were found, including needle-like (raphide), druse, hexagonal and octahedron. They occur in the leaf blade, midrib and petiole. In terms of size, the needle-like crystals were 45-62.5 µm long and 1.42-2 µm wide. The druses were 4.01-65.10 µm in diameter. In comparison, the hexagonal crystals were 2.71-33.80 µm long and 1.01-6.61 µm wide. The octagonal crystals were 1.8-7.38 µm long and 1.92-10.50 wide. The needle crystals formed raphide clusters in the cells while hexagonal and orthorhombic crystals were individually present in the cells. Energy dispersive X-ray spectra and X-ray maps showed that the crystals consisted of calcium (Ca) and oxygen (O). The results of this study are preliminary data that could be used in the medical field and human health care.
Article Details
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
References
Y. Paisooksantivatana, K. Nakahara, Local Vegetables of Thailand: Color illustrated, Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences (JIRCAS) and Kasetsart University, 79 (2009).
P.C. Boyce, D. Sookchaloem, W.L.A. Hetterscheid, G. Gusman, N. Jacobsen, T. Idei, N. Van Du, Araceae, Flora of Thailand., Vol. 11(2), 1-221 (2012).
P. Matthews, E. Takei, T. Kawahara, Colocasia esculenta var. aquatilis on Okinawa Island, Southern Japan: The distribution and possible origins of a wild diploid taro, Man and Culture in Oceania., Vol. 8, 19-34 (1992).
N. Turreira-Garcia, A.M. Vilkaman, A. Byg, I. Theilade, Diversity, knowledge and use of leafy vegetables in Northern Thailand-maintenance and transmission of ethnobotanical knowledge during urbanisation, Nat. Hist. Bull. Siam Soc., Vol. 62(1), 85-105 (2017).
N. Chomlamay, W. Poorahong, S. Innajak, R. Watanapokasin, Apoptosis induction associated with enhanced ER stress response and up-regulation of c-Jun/p38 MAPK proteins in human cervical cancer cells by Colocasia esculenta var. aquatilis Hassk extract, Scientia Pharmaceutica., Vol. 90, 45. https://doi.org/10.3390/scipharm90030045. (2022).
B.D. Stein, M.S. Strauss, D.C. Scheirer, Anatomy and histochemistry of taro, Colocasia N esculenta (L.) Schott, leaves, International Society for Tropical Root Crops, Sixth Triennial Symposium, 21-26 February, Lima, Peru, 125-130 (1983).
I. Erlinawati, E.F. Tihurua, Leaf surface comparison of three genera of Araceae in Indonesia, Buletin Kebun Raya., Vol. 16(2), 131-145 (2013).
D.R. Wulandari, R.K. Ningrum, A. Wulansari, T.M. Ermayanti, D. Ratnadewi, Morphological and anatomical characters of diploid and tetraploid taro (Colocasia esculenta L. Schott) cv. Bentul grown in lathhouse, IOP Conf. Series: Earth and Environmental Science., 439, 012050. doi:10.1088/1755-1315/439/1/012050 (2020).
V.R. Franceschi, H.T. Horner Jr., Calcium oxalate crystals in plants, The Botanical Review., Vol. 46(4), 361-427 (1980).
K. Cha-um, S. Sangjun, K. Prawetchayadom, C. Theerawitaya, R. Tisarum S. Klomklaeng, S. Cha-um, Physiological, organic and inorganic biochemical in the leaves of elephant ear (Colocasia esculenta Schott var. aquatillis), The Horticulture Journal., Vol. 88(4), 499-506 (2019).
S.T. Konyar, N. Ozturk, F. Dane, Occurrence, types and distribution of calcium oxalate crystals in leaves and stems of some species of poisonous plants, Botanical Studies., Vol. 55(1), 32. doi: 10.1186/1999-3110-55-32 (2014).
Y. Paopun, D. Changchan, P. Thanomchat, Calcium oxalate crystals and leaf anatomical characteristics of Kaempferia galanga L., Journal of Microscopy Society of Thailand., Vol. 33(1), 28-33 (2020).
Y. Paopun, P. Thanomchat, P. Umrung, S. Seraphin, Calcium oxalate crystals in Thai Peperomia pellucida (L.) Kunth stems and leaves, Journal of Microscopy Society of Thailand., Vol. 35(1), 26-32 (2022).
J. Buragohain, T. Angami, B.U. Choudhary, P. Singh, B.P. Bhatt, A. Thirugnanavel, B.C. Deka, Quality evaluation of indigenous taro (Colocasia esculenta L.) cultivars of Nagaland, Indian Journal of Hill Farming., Vol. 26(2), 16-20 (2013).
O.O. Arogundade, O. Adedeji, Taxonomic significance of the vegetative anatomy of members of genera Colocasia (L.) Schott and Xanthosoma (L.) Schott in the family Araceae, African Journal of Plant Science., Vol. 13(4), 92-106 (2019).
K.C. Eco, B.S. Belonias, Biomineralization of calcium oxalate crystals in leaves of Colocasia esculenta L. Schott (Araceae) in response to herbivory and water regime, Annals of Tropical Research., Vol. 39(1), 54-69 (2017).
A.C. Kumoro, Rr.D.A. Putri, C.S. Budiyati, D.S Retnowati, Ratnawati, Kinetics of calcium oxalate reduction in taro (Colocasia esculenta) corm chips during treatments using baking soda solution, Procedia Chemistry., Vol. 9, 102-112 (2014).
V.R. Franceschi, P.A. Nakata, Calcium oxalate in plants: Formation and function, Annual Review of Plant Biology., Vol. 56, 41-71 (2005).
Y. Paopun, P. Thanomchat, S. Seraphin, Primatic and needle-like crystals of calcium oxalate in Thai herbs, Siriraj Medical Journal., Vol. 68 (Suppl 1) (3), S34-S35 (2016).
S.C. Noonan, G.P. Savage, Oxalate content of foods and its effect on humans, Asia Pacific Journal of Clinical Nutrition., Vol. 8(1), 64-74 (1999).