Research progress on the formation, function, and impact of calcium oxalate crystals in plants

Abstract

Calcium oxalate (CaOx) crystals, ubiquitous in numerous plant families, have emerged as fascinating and complex structures with far-reaching implications in plant physiology, ecology, and human health. This paper encapsulates a comprehensive exploration of CaOx crystals, beginning with their formation and physiological role within plants, to their larger ecological implications, and finally, their impact on human society. Recent research has elucidated key genes involved in CaOx crystal formation, as well as the crystals’ diverse physiological roles, including their function in calcium regulation, defense against herbivory, and potential contributions to carbon sequestration. We also highlight the ecological significance of CaOx crystals in nutrient cycling and plant-soil interactions, and the potential hazards posed by these crystals in human nutrition, particularly in the context of oxalate-rich diets and kidney stone formation. Despite significant advances, many aspects, particularly their ecological impacts and potential role in climate change mitigation, remain under-explored, necessitating future research.

KEYWORDS:

• Calcium oxalate crystals
• plant physiology
• ecological impacts
• human health
• climate change mitigation

Acknowledgement

This work has been financially supported by Siterwell Electronics Co., Ltd.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Subject Index

Plant physiology 1; 3; 5; 25

Crystal formation 1; 2; 3; 4; 5; 11; 13; 14; 15; 24; 25

Idioblasts 2; 3; 5; 11; 16; 19; 22

Calcium regulation 1; 3; 4; 5; 16; 18; 25

Defense mechanisms 4; 19

Structural support 3; 4; 5; 6; 11

Herbivore 5; 19; 20; 24

Nutrient cycling 1; 20; 25

Plant-soil interactions 1; 4; 20; 25

Human health 1; 3; 4; 21; 25

Kidney stones 7; 22; 23; 25

Nanotechnology 3; 4

Crystallography 3; 7

Plant biology 3; 4; 5; 15

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Hao He

Dr. Hao He is a postdoctoral researcher at the School of Electrical and Information Engineering at Tianjin University. He is also a lecturer at the School of Quality and Safety Engineering at China Jiliang University. Dr. He's main research interests are in combustion performance characterization. He has published over 10 academic papers as first or corresponding author in peer-reviewed journals. He also has 5 authorized invention patents, 3 utility model patents, and 2 software copyrights.

Donghui Li

Dr. Donghui Li is a Professor of Control Theory and Control Engineering at the School of Electrical and Information Engineering at Tianjin University. He is also a doctoral supervisor and director of the Power Electronics Society of China Electrotechnical Society. Dr. Li has completed and led numerous national and Tianjin Natural Science Foundation projects, completed over 40 enterprise collaboration projects, and published more than 60 papers in SCI and EI indexed journals.

Xingxing Li

Ms. Xingxing Li obtained her bachelor's degree in Internet of Things Engineering from Harbin University of Commerce. She is currently a master's student majoring in Materials Science and Engineering at Hangzhou Dianzi University. She has published one academic paper as the first author in an SCI journal.

Li Fu

Dr. Li Fu is an Associate Professor of College of Materials and Environmental Engineering, Hangzhou Dianzi University. Dr. Fu received his PhD in Chemistry at Swinburne University of Technology (Australia). He has co-author of about 200 original papers with more than 10000 citations in the field of material chemistry.