title: Calcium (hydrogen-1-malate) hexahydrate on Echeveria gibbiflora leaves and its effect on sperm cells.
abstract: Echeveria gibbiflora is a plant widely used for its contraceptive activity in traditional Mexican medicine. Data on calcium crystals in plants are not outstanding. In the case of the Echeveria gibbiflora leaves, however, its quality, quantity, and salt type are quite surprising; one striking result of its X-ray crystallographic data shows the presence of calcium bis (hydrogen-1-malate) hexahydrate [2(C4H5O(5)1), Ca(1)2+, 6(H2O1)]. This highly soluble compound might explain the rapid shape changes of calcium crystals. Because SEM-EDS analysis shows that calcium malate crystals were obtained in a highly pure state and the immobilization and agglutination pattern that OBACE show on human and bull spermatozoa are not found even when high concentrations of calcium bis (hydrogen-1-malate) hexahydrate salt are present it is not feasible to involucrate molecules as calcium malate as part of the OBACE contraceptive activity.
authors.affiliation: División de Biología de la Reproducción, Centro de Investigación Biomédica de Oriente, Hospital General de Zona #5 Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social (I.M.S.S.), Puebla, Mexico. rreyesluna@hotmail.com
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Reyes
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Sánchez-Vázquez
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Merchant Larios
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ortega Hernández
authors.forename: N M
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Delgado
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D029627:Crassulaceae / Q000737:chemistry*; D003460:Crystallization; D006801:Humans; D008293:Malates / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D008858:Microscopy, Phase-Contrast; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000737:chemistry; D013073:Sperm Agglutination / Q000187:drug effects; D013078:Sperm Immobilizing Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D008293:Malates; D010936:Plant Extracts; D013078:Sperm Immobilizing Agents; C030298:malic acid