Abstract

ZUNIGA VALENZUELA, Rafael et al. Characterization CaCO₃ and CaC₂O₄ with microphotographic analysis in Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Miller. Rev. Mex. Cienc. Agríc [online]. 2018, vol.9, n.7, pp.1524-1531.  Epub Sep 30, 2020. ISSN 2007-0934.  https://doi.org/10.29312/remexca.v9i7.472.

The consumption of calcium (Ca++) is more frequent in the human diet due to its bioavailability and viability naturally in the cultivation of the nopal vegetable (Opuntia ficus-indica L. Miller.); however, its availability is limited by water stress in the plant by sequestering Ca++ in the form of calcium oxalate (CaC2O4). The study delves into sequential microphotographic analysis to produce high definition digital mosaics in undisturbed samples of the nopal cladodes with 60 days of age at water differentials 10 and 30% of available water (AD) and are processed in thin sections (SD) of 30 microns (μm) in thickness, besides being analyzed densitometrically in three different light phases by means of a petrographic microscope, the characterization of CaC2O4 and CaCO3 was carried out by signature in RGB formats characterizing the type of compound, its nucleus, size and texture. The results obtained by size of CaC2O4 of 10 and 30% A y D were: 37.63 μm and 71.39 μm in these compounds and the nuclei of these compounds reached 20.4 μm and 24.04 μm; with a texture of prismatic and cubic shape, while the CaCO3 for the same levels of available water: they reached size of 19.15μm and 20.86μm with a preponderant cubic texture. Concluding that the size of CaC2O4 and CaCO3 depends on the state of dehydration of the plants, as well as a correlation was observed between the size of the nucleus of CaC2O4, where for each CaC2O4 a CaCO3 is fixed, becoming unavailable.

Keywords : digital mosaics; nopal; oxalate; water stress.

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