Biomimetic Growth of Calcium Oxalate Hydrates: Shape Development and Structures in Agar Gel Matrices

Crystal growth of calcium oxalate hydrates (COM: calcium oxalate monohydrate; COD: -dihydrate; COT: -trihydrate) is a specific example of pathological biomineralization due to their harmful role as kidney/urinary stones. In this work, the biomimetic growth of calcium oxalate hydrates has been achieved using double diffusion technique in agar gel matrix. In vitro experimental models for the growth of calcium oxalates can give valuable information on the formation of biominerals of kidney/urinary stones. Diverse morphological forms of COM are grown in agar gel matrices ranging from platy crystallites to dumbbells and spherulites. The morphology of COM grown in agar gel resembles COM biominerals remarkably. Furthermore, it has been discovered that a higher pH of the agar gel promotes COD development while suppressing COM growth.