TY - JOUR
T1 - Effect of calcium oxalate crystals on the micromechanical properties of sclerenchyma tissue from the pecan nutshell (Carya illinoinensis)
AU - Arzate-Vázquez, I.
AU - Méndez-Méndez, J. V.
AU - Nicolás-Bermúdez, J.
AU - Chanona-Pérez, J. J.
AU - Domínguez-Fernández, R. N.
AU - Vélez-Rivera, N.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2021
PY - 2022/1/1
Y1 - 2022/1/1
N2 - The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of the presence of calcium oxalate (CaOx) crystals on the micromechanical properties of sclerenchyma tissue from the pecan nutshell (Carya illinoinensis). The microstructure of the cross-section nutshell was examined using light microscopy (LM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Using an instrumented indentation system, indentation tests with maximum loads of 500 mN were made on the biological material where the variables studied were the number of crystals present in the evaluated area and the size of individual crystals. Microscopic analysis revealed that the pecan nutshell consists of sclerenchyma tissue with multiple CaOx crystals randomly distributed throughout the material, exhibiting prismatic shapes and various sizes. The results of the indentation tests showed that the examined areas where there were crystals (1, 2 or up to 3) presented values of hardness and elastic modulus significantly higher (P < 0.05) compared to the sclerenchyma (without crystals). Likewise, there were no significant differences (P > 0.05) between the values of the micromechanical properties of the areas evaluated as a function of the number of crystals. On the other hand, it was observed that the size of the crystals did not show a direct correlation with the mechanical properties evaluated as expected. In conclusion, the biomineralization phenomenon is a successful strategy designed by nature to improve the rigidity of the pecan nutshell, where the CaOx crystals strengthen the structure by increasing the micromechanical properties.
AB - The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of the presence of calcium oxalate (CaOx) crystals on the micromechanical properties of sclerenchyma tissue from the pecan nutshell (Carya illinoinensis). The microstructure of the cross-section nutshell was examined using light microscopy (LM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Using an instrumented indentation system, indentation tests with maximum loads of 500 mN were made on the biological material where the variables studied were the number of crystals present in the evaluated area and the size of individual crystals. Microscopic analysis revealed that the pecan nutshell consists of sclerenchyma tissue with multiple CaOx crystals randomly distributed throughout the material, exhibiting prismatic shapes and various sizes. The results of the indentation tests showed that the examined areas where there were crystals (1, 2 or up to 3) presented values of hardness and elastic modulus significantly higher (P < 0.05) compared to the sclerenchyma (without crystals). Likewise, there were no significant differences (P > 0.05) between the values of the micromechanical properties of the areas evaluated as a function of the number of crystals. On the other hand, it was observed that the size of the crystals did not show a direct correlation with the mechanical properties evaluated as expected. In conclusion, the biomineralization phenomenon is a successful strategy designed by nature to improve the rigidity of the pecan nutshell, where the CaOx crystals strengthen the structure by increasing the micromechanical properties.
KW - Calcium oxalate crystals
KW - Indentation test
KW - Micromechanical properties
KW - Pecan nutshell
KW - Sclerenchyma
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85121126952&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.plaphy.2021.12.011
DO - 10.1016/j.plaphy.2021.12.011
M3 - Artículo
C2 - 34922141
AN - SCOPUS:85121126952
SN - 0981-9428
VL - 170
SP - 249
EP - 254
JO - Plant Physiology and Biochemistry
JF - Plant Physiology and Biochemistry
ER -