Calcium Oxalate Crystals as Raw Food Antinutrient: A Review

The nutritional value of food can be altered by the presence of antinutrients such as oxalates present abundantly in plants as ergastic crystals. High oxalate content in plant-based raw food can lead to oxalonephropathy, nephrolithiasis and renal dysfunction. Presence of oxalate can hinder the absorption of other minerals such as calcium and magnesium present in food. CaOx antinutrient intake can be minimised by avoiding plant with high oxalate content or by decreasing oxalate levels through cooking practices like, boiling, fermenting, treating with baking soda, adding yoghurt and milk etc. More sophisticated ways of minimising antinutrient intake through raw diet is by choosing genetically modified crops which are bred for low oxalate content or by choosing mutant varieties which are devoid or low in oxalate content in food crops. The future for sustainable antinutrient management and nutritional value enhancement is by incorporating genes from bacteria or fungi which are capable of breaking down oxalate using the enzyme oxalate decarboxylase, on to plants and thereby modifying them to have less antinutrient effects in raw consumption.

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Assessing ecological risks and benefits of genetically modified crops

Journal of Agricultural Sciences Belgrade ◽

10.2298/jas1001089b ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 55 (1) ◽

pp. 89-101

Author(s):

Jelena Boskovic ◽

Vasilije Isajev ◽

Zeljana Prijic ◽

Veselinka Zecevic ◽

Zdravko Hojka ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Plant Protection ◽

Genetically Modified ◽

Genetically Modified Crops ◽

Environmental Safety ◽

Crop Productivity ◽

Decision Makers ◽

Gm Crops ◽

Food Crops ◽

Ecological Risks ◽

Risks And Benefits

Genetically modified (GM) crops and biotechnology are providing new opportunities for increasing crop productivity and tackling agriculture problems, such as diseases, pests and weeds, abiotic stress and nutritional limitations of staple food crops. As GM crops are being adopted in various locations with different ecosystems, a scientifically based understanding of the environmental effects of cultivations of GM crops would assist decision makers worldwide in ensuring environmental safety and sustainability. In this paper are discussed some of the most important problems related to the GM crops into the environment such as: plant protection, hybridisation, ecological effects of HRCs, gene flow, biodiversity, stress, ecological risks (ERA), effects on the soil ecosystem etc.

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Genetically modified crops and country image of food exporting countries

British Food Journal ◽

10.1108/00070700510615035 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 107 (9) ◽

pp. 653-662 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

John G. Knight ◽

Damien W. Mather ◽

David K. Holdsworth

Keyword(s):

Genetically Modified ◽

Distribution Channel ◽

Genetically Modified Crops ◽

Food Distribution ◽

Gm Crops ◽

Food Crops ◽

Country Image ◽

Content Type ◽

Gm Food ◽

Consumer Benefit

PurposeMany countries have held back from planting genetically modified (GM) food crops due to perceived negative reaction in export and domestic markets. Three lines of research have tested the reality of this fear.Design/methodology/approachIn‐depth interviews were conducted in European countries with key companies and organisations in the European food sector. Supermarket intercepts were used to ascertain purchasing intent for products from countries that do or do not produce GM crops. A purchasing experiment was conducted, where cherries labelled as GM, organic or conventional were on sale in a roadside stall.FindingsFood distribution channel members expressed concern about possibility of contamination or mix‐up between GM and non‐GM food. However, presence of GM crops in a country does not cause negative perception of food in general from that country. Approximately 30 per cent of consumers in the purchasing experiment proved willing to purchase GM cherries when there was a defined consumer benefit – either lower price or spray‐free.Practical implicationsCountries that have not yet planted GM food crops need to be cautious about possible negative impacts on channel member perceptions of non‐GM versions of the same crop from the same country. However, planting GM crops does not appear likely to damage the overall reputation of a food‐supplying country. GM applications in non‐food areas seem unlikely to damage perceptions of country image in relation to supply of food products from that country.Originality/valueProvides useful information for those planning to plant GM food crops.

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Genetically Modified Crops

Advances in Environmental Engineering and Green Technologies - Environmental Issues Surrounding Human Overpopulation ◽

10.4018/978-1-5225-1683-5.ch006 ◽

2017 ◽

pp. 104-119

Author(s):

Amit Srivastava ◽

Claudia Edith Torres-Vargas

Keyword(s):

Genetic Engineering ◽

Human Health ◽

Abiotic Stresses ◽

Genetically Modified ◽

Genetically Modified Crops ◽

Food Crops ◽

Direct Impact ◽

Biotic And Abiotic Stresses ◽

Relevant Issue ◽

Open Questions

Genetic engineering and modification of food crops has been emerged as one of the most relevant issue for debate due to concern over its direct impact on human health and environment. The striking development and advancement of biotechnological techniques lead to the generation and production of genetically modified plants with improved features such as increased resistance against biotic and abiotic stresses. In spite of all the success made by plant geneticist, the genetic engineering of food crops is still in its infancy and there is a need to carefully notice the issues that can be directly detrimental to the environment and human health. Further, from a basic genetics perspective, genetically modified foods may possess unpredictable components and their unintended amount that can be far different than the desired alteration. Open questions and challenges for production and application of genetically modified crops will be discussed in the current chapter.

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Identification of calcium oxalate crystals in dried or fixed tobacco leaf

Proceedings, annual meeting, Electron Microscopy Society of America ◽

10.1017/s0424820100111550 ◽

1984 ◽

Vol 42 ◽

pp. 288-289

Author(s):

Vicki L. Baliga ◽

Mary Ellen Counts

Keyword(s):

Electron Microscopy ◽

Scanning Electron Microscopy ◽

Calcium Oxalate ◽

Growth And Development ◽

Polarized Light ◽

Calcium Oxalate Crystals ◽

X Ray Diffraction ◽

X Ray ◽

Transmission Electron ◽

Scanning Electron

Calcium is an important element in the growth and development of plants and one form of calcium is calcium oxalate. Calcium oxalate has been found in leaf seed, stem material plant tissue culture, fungi and lichen using one or more of the following methods—polarized light microscopy (PLM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and x-ray diffraction.Two methods are presented here for qualitatively estimating calcium oxalate in dried or fixed tobacco (Nicotiana) leaf from different stalk positions using PLM. SEM, coupled with energy dispersive x-ray spectrometry (EDS), and powder x-ray diffraction were used to verify that the crystals observed in the dried leaf with PLM were calcium oxalate.

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An SEM study of raphide crystal initials in the leaves of vitis (grape)

Proceedings, annual meeting, Electron Microscopy Society of America ◽

10.1017/s0424820100141299 ◽

1995 ◽

Vol 53 ◽

pp. 984-985

Author(s):

H. J. Arnott ◽

M. A. Webb ◽

L. E. Lopez

Keyword(s):

Calcium Oxalate ◽

Water Soluble ◽

Calcium Oxalate Crystals ◽

Calcium Oxalate Crystal ◽

Oxalate Crystals ◽

Large Numbers ◽

Sem Study ◽

The Matrix ◽

Crystal Cells ◽

Crystal Idioblast

Many papers have been published on the structure of calcium oxalate crystals in plants, however, few deal with the early development of crystals. Large numbers of idioblastic calcium oxalate crystal cells are found in the leaves of Vitis mustangensis, V. labrusca and V. vulpina. A crystal idioblast, or raphide cell, will produce 150-300 needle-like calcium oxalate crystals within a central vacuole. Each raphide crystal is autonomous, having been produced in a separate membrane-defined crystal chamber; the idioblast''s crystal complement is collectively embedded in a water soluble glycoprotein matrix which fills the vacuole. The crystals are twins, each having a pointed and a bidentate end (Fig 1); when mature they are about 0.5-1.2 μn in diameter and 30-70 μm in length. Crystal bundles, i.e., crystals and their matrix, can be isolated from leaves using 100% ETOH. If the bundles are treated with H2O the matrix surrounding the crystals rapidly disperses.

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