Growth Inhibition of Natural Foods on Calcium Hydrogen Phosphate Dihydrate Crystals

A large number of people are suffering from health problems due to urinary stones. The prevalence of urinary stones is increasing and approximately 12,000 patients are admitted in hospitals every year due to this condition. Brushite [CaHPO4 center dot 2H(2)O] or calcium hydrogen phosphate dihydrate (CHPD), which is known as urinary crystal, is a stable form of calcium phosphate. This study aims to investigate the influence of natural foods on the formation of calcium hydrogen phosphate (CHPD) crystals to elucidate the inhibitory effect of urinary stone formation from a different perspective. Natural foods used in this study are Solanum lycopersicum (Tomato), Daucus carota (Carrot) and Vitis vinifera (Grapes). Tomato is the edible fruit of Solanum lycopersicum, which belongs to the nightshade family, Solanaceae. Grapes are a fruit, botanically a berry, of the deciduous woody vines of the flowering plant genus vitis. The carrot is a biennial plant in the umbellifer family Apiaceae. The effects of natural foods, the in-vitro crystallization and growth inhibition of calcium hydrogen phosphate dihydrate crystals are studied using single diffusion gel growth technique. The grown crystals were characterized by total mass determination, X-ray diffraction, UV-Vis and Dielectric studies. The crystalline size is reduced for natural foods added CHPD crystals compared with pure CHPD. The grown crystals are more transparent and of a size of around 53 and 49 nm. Some variations in dielectric properties are observed due to the addition of fruit extracts.