[Study on irritation of calcium oxalate crystal in Araceae plants].
OBJECTIVE
To validate the irritation effects of calcium oxalate crystal in several herbal drugs which come from Araceae plants.


METHODS
Compared the irritation of pure calcium oxalate crystals isolated from the raw rhizome of Typhonium flagelliforme, T. giganteum and Arisaema erubescens and studied the quantity and irritating effect relationship of different concentration suspensions of needle-like calcium oxalate crystals by using the model of rabbits' eyes.


RESULTS
Calcium oxalate crystals isolated from above three rau rhizome typhonium rhizome showed strong irritation effects on rabbits' eyes. Under the condition of same content of calcium oxalate crystals, there were no difference in irritation effect between the suspensions of raw medicinal materials and pure calcium oxalate crystals. The degree of irritation on rabbits' eyes showed undoubted quantity and irritating effect relationship with the concentrations of Calcium oxalate crystel.


CONCLUSIONS
Calcium oxalate crystal is the irritant component in some herbal drugs which come from Araceae plants.
Nanjing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210029, China. whao5795@vip.sina.com
Hao
H
Wu
Ling-Yun
LY
Zhong
D000818:Animals; D029064:Araceae / Q000737:chemistry*; D002129:Calcium Oxalate / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005123:Eye / Q000187:drug effects*; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D011817:Rabbits; D011897:Random Allocation
D002129:Calcium Oxalate