Abstract

CALCINATIONS OF CYPRAEA MONETA (COWRY SHELL) LEADS TO PHASE TRANSFORMATION OF BIOGENIC ARAGONITE INTO CALCITE CRYSTALS

R. Manikandan*, S. Devashankar and P. Martin

Abstract

Traditional Indian system of medicine like Siddha, Ayurveda uses various molluscan based medicines for treating various ailments like Jaundice, Gastro-intestinal disorders and other immunological clinical conditions. Molluscan shells are purified and subjected to various traditional calcinations processes. Almost all marine molluscan shells contain calcium carbonate as their major constituents. In the present study, Biogenic Calcium carbonate obtained from marine mollusk Cypreae moneta Linn. (Cowry shell) before and after calcinations were subjected to FTIR, FT-Raman and Powder X-ray diffraction studies. The before and after calcinations studies of cowry shells reveals a solid state phase transformation from thermodynamically less stable form of Aragonite Calcite, a thermodynamically more stable polymorphic form of Calcium carbonate.

Keywords: Siddha, Ayurveda, Jaundice, Gastro-intestinal disorder, Immunological clinical conditions, Calcite, Aragonite, Biogenic, Cowry shell and Phase transformation.