International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition,

May 2008; 59(3): 246
260

Oxalates in some Indian green leafy vegetables

M. RADEK1 & G. P. SAVAGE2

1
Institut National Polytechnique de Lorraine, Ecole Nationale Supérieure d’Agronomie et des
Industries Alimentaires de Nancy, Vandoeuvre-lès-Nancy, France, and 2Food Group, Agriculture
and Life Sciences, Lincoln University, Canterbury, New Zealand

Abstract
The soluble and total oxalate contents of 11 leafy vegetables grown in India were determined.
Spinach, purple and green amaranth and colocasia contained high levels of total oxalates, which
ranged from 5,138.0937.6 mg/100 g dry matter up to 12,576.19107.9 mg/100 g dry matter.
Seven other leafy vegetables (curry, drumstick, shepu, fenugreek, coriander, radish and onion
stalks) contained only insoluble oxalate, which ranged from 209.095.0 mg/100 g dry matter to
2,774.9918.4 mg/100 g dry matter. In vitro digestion of the samples showed that the gastric
available oxalate was 10% lower than the values obtained from acid extraction and that
intestinal available oxalate was 20% lower than the values obtained following hot water
extraction. The percentage calcium bound in the insoluble oxalate fraction of the dried leafy
vegetables ranged from 3.3% to 86.7% of the total calcium. Addition of four different sources of
calcium (low fat milk, whole milk, calcium carbonate and calcium sulphate) resulted in a range
of 32
100% reductions of intestinal available oxalate in the mixture.

Keywords: Indian leafy vegetables, soluble and insoluble oxalates, gastric available oxalate,
intestinal available oxalate, calcium availability

Introduction
Leafy green vegetables occupy an important place in the diets of millions of people in
India. A wide range of vegetables can be grown on the Indian subcontinent as it has a
variety of natural habitats, climates and seasons (Singh et al. 2001). Curry leaves,
fenugreek, coriander, drumstick leaves, radish leaves, onion stalks, shepu, spinach,
green and purple amaranth and colocasia are some of the most common vegetables
easily grown and they are widely consumed throughout India. These leafy vegetables
are generally inexpensive foods rich in important nutrients such as carotenoids,
vitamins, ascorbic acid, riboflavin, folic acid, polyphenols, iron, calcium and other
minerals. However, antinutritional constituents such as oxalate can reduce the
bioavailability of some minerals, especially calcium.
Oxalates can be found widely in many plant families in relatively small amounts, but
some plant species can accumulate oxalate in a range of 3
15% (w/w) of their dry
weight (Zindler-Frank 1976; Libert and Franceschi 1987; Nakata 2003; Franceschi
and Nakata 2005). Depending on the species, oxalate can occur as soluble salts of
potassium and sodium (soluble oxalates) and as insoluble salts of calcium, magnesium

Correspondence: G. P. Savage, Food Group, Agriculture and Life Sciences, Lincoln University, Canterbury,
New Zealand. Tel: 64 3 3253 803. Fax: 64 33253 851. E-mail address: savage@lincoln.ac.nz

ISSN 0963-7486 print/ISSN 1465-3478 online # 2008 Informa UK Ltd

DOI: 10.1080/09637480701791176