Some critical aspects of FT-IR, TGA, powder XRD, EDAX and SEM studies of calcium oxalate urinary calculi.

Urinary calculi constitute one of the oldest afflictions of humans as well as animals, which are occurring globally. The calculi vary in shape, size and composition, which influence their clinical course. They are usually of the mixed-type with varying percentages of the ingredients. In medical management of urinary calculi, either the nature of calculi is to be known or the exact composition of calculi is required. In the present study, two selected calculi were recovered after surgery from two different patients for detailed examination and investigated by using Fourier-Transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), thermo-gravimetric analysis (TGA), powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive analysis of X-rays (EDAX) techniques. The study demonstrated that the nature of urinary calculi and presence of major phase in mixed calculi could be identified by FT-IR, TGA and powder XRD, however, the exact content of various elements could be found by EDAX only.

Inhibition of the growth of urinary calcium hydrogen phosphate dihydrate crystals with aqueous extracts of Tribulus terrestris and Bergenia ligulata.

Urinary type calcium hydrogen phosphate dihydrate (CHPD) or Brushite crystals were grown by the single diffusion gel technique in silica hydro-gels. The gel framework acts as a three dimensional crucible in which the crystal nuclei are delicately held in the position of their formation and nutrients are supplied for their growth. This technique can be utilized as a simplified screening model to study the growth and dissolution of urinary stones in vitro. The action of the putatively litholytic medicinal plants Tribulus terrestris and Bergenia ligulata on the growth of CHPD crystals was studied . The effects of artificial reference urine (ARU) and human urine (HU), along with the plant extracts, are also reported. Attempts were made to understand the role of these inhibitors on urinary crystal formation. HU, ARU, extracts of B. ligulata and T. terrestris exhibit appreciable amounts of inhibition, but B.ligulata and T.terrestris with ARU and HU do not show inhibition at all.