Calcite growth in Cissus quadrangularis plant extract, a traditional Indian bone-healing aid

Abstract

Cissus quadrangularis, a plant that has been customarily used in the Indian subcontinent to hasten the process of healing in bone fractures, has been studied and exploited to synthesize calcite crystals. The plant extract serves as a rich source of calcium ions, which when reacted with CO₂, leads to the formation of calcite crystals of highly irregular morphology indicating that bioorganic molecules present in the extract modulate the crystal morphology.