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ARS Home » Plains Area » Houston, Texas » Children's Nutrition Research Center » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #211819
Title: Plants defective in calcium oxalate crystal formation have more bioavailable calcium

Author
item Hirschi, Kendal
item MORRIS, JAY - BAYLOR COLLEGE MED
item Nakata, Paul
item MCCONN, MICHELLE - BAYLOR COLLEGE MED
item BROCK, AMANDA - BAYLOR COLLEGE MED

Submitted to: Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology Conference
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/7/2007
Publication Date: 4/28/2007
Citation: Hirschi, K.D., Morris, J., Nakata, P.A., McConn, M., Brock, A. 2007. Plants defective in calcium oxalate crystal formation have more bioavailable calcium [abstract]. The Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology Journal. 21(5):A356.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Bioavailable calcium affects bone formation and calcification. Here we investigate how a single gene mutation altering calcium partitioning in the forage crop Medicago truncatula affects calcium bioavailability. Previously, the cod5 Medicago mutant was identified which contains wild-type amounts of calcium, but none partitioned into oxalate crystals. We fed M. truncatula and cod5 extrinsically and intrinsically labeled 45Ca-containing diets to mice, and absorption of the tracer was determined in the legs one day after consumption. In the intrinsically labeled diets, calcium absorption was 22.87% higher in mice fed cod5. Our study presents genetic evidence demonstrating the nutritional impact of removing oxalate crystals from foods.