Review of acridity in taro [Colocasia esculenta (L) Schott]: Its health and economic impact, and possible reduction mechanisms

Abstract

Taro is primarily grown for the corm, which is a staple food for millions of people. It is an annual herbaceous plant that belongs to the oxalate-rich food group. Oxalate is a naturally occurring plant metabolite that is present in all plant-derived human diets. The accumulation of oxalate by crops and pasture plants has a negative impact on the nutritional quality of foods and feeds. Oxalate is a poisonous organic acid that has a significant impact on the eating quality. Acridity causes swelling of the mouth and throat. Oxalate-rich foods also reduce calcium bioavailability and increase the risk of kidney stones. About 75% of all kidney stones are made up primarily of calcium oxalate. Chronic kidney disease affects 10% of the global population, and over two million people currently receive dialysis or a kidney transplant. Oxalates in food can be reduced through physical processes, chemical treatments, and genetic improvements. Cooking root crops may improve digestibility, palatability, storage quality, and safety. Boiling significantly reduced the amount of anti-nutritional factors, resulting in higher food quality. Eating high-calcium foods and adding calcium to cooking are two other ways to reduce oxalates in the diet. Calcium salts are widely accepted and used as acidity regulators, firming agents, and stabilizers in processed foods. Taro corms' total soluble oxalate content also decreased during storage. Explicitly, genetic advancements can aid in the development of long-term solutions. The purpose of this paper was to investigate acridity, its health and economic consequences, and potential food-acridity-reduction mechanisms. This educates users about the dangers of oxalate and aids in the development of mitigation strategies.