Haematolocal Effects of Subacute Toxicity of Ethanol Leaf Extract of Datura Metel Linn. and its Amelioration of Dimethoate Toxicity in Male Wistar Rats

Datura metel is an annual or perennial herbaceous plant, belonging to the family Solanaceae with major bioactive components such as tropane alkaloids. Several animals were reported to have manifested toxicity signs including circulatory and respiratory failure, resulting in death after consumption of the plant. The present study sought to unravel the haematological effects of D. metel leaves as well as its ameliorative potential to dimethoate toxicity. Twenty-five clinically healthy adult Wistar rats with a Mean weight of 208 ± 23 g were randomly divided into 5 groups of 5 rats each. Group I (control) received soya bean oil at 2 mg/kg while groups II, III, IV, and V received 500 mg/kg ethanol leaf extract of Datura metel (ELEDM), 30 mg/kg of dimethoate (DT), DT+ELEDM, and DT+AP, respectively, for 4 weeks. The median lethal dose (LD ) of the ELEDM 50 and DT were found to be 3950 mg/kg and 250 mg/kg, respectively. Generally, ELEDM and DT individually induced significant (P<0.05) alterations in the measured parameters mostly in the 3rd and 4th week. The mixture of DT+ELEDM achieved a considerable ameliorative effect. Therefore, the administration of ELEDM acted as a powerful cholinergic antagonist against the effects of toxicity induced by DT in Wistar rats. This may be useful, especially in areas where animals are prompt to DT toxicity and individuals who are occupationally exposed daily to low doses of such insecticides with poor accessibility to the antidote.