Datura metel stramonium exacerbates behavioral deficits, medial prefrontal cortex, and hippocampal neurotoxicity in mice via redox imbalance

Abstract

Background Datura metel (DM) stramonium is a medicinal plant often abused by Nigerians due to its psychostimulatory properties. Hallucinations, confusion, agitation, aggressiveness, anxiety, and restlessness are reported amongst DM users. Earlier studies suggest that DM induces neurotoxicity and affect brain physiology. However, the exact neurological effects of DM extract in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and hippocampal morphology have not been elucidated. In this study, we evaluated the hypothesis that oral exposure to DM extract exerts a neurotoxic effect by increasing oxidative stress in the mPFC and the hippocampus and induces behavioral deficits in mice. Results DM methanolic extract exposure significantly increased MDA and NO levels and reduced SOD, GSH, GPx and CAT activities in mice brains. In addition, our results showed that DM exposure produced cognitive deficits, anxiety, and depressive-like behaviour in mice following oral exposure for 28 days. Moreover, the mPFC and hippocampus showed neurodegenerative features, loss of dendritic and axonal arborization, a dose-dependent decrease in neuronal cell bodies’ length, width, area, and perimeter, and a dose-dependent increase in the distance between neuronal cell bodies. Conclusions Oral exposure to DM in mice induces behavioural deficits, mPFC and hippocampal neuronal degenerations via redox imbalance in the brain of mice. These observations confirm the neurotoxicity of DM extracts and raises concerns on the safety and potential adverse effects of DM in humans. Graphical abstract

Efficacy of Ascorbic Acid on Frontal Cortex Damage Induced by Alcoholic Extract of Datura stramonium Leaf in Adult Male Wistar Rats

“…Additionally, it is responsible for personality, thoughts, and aspirations [24].The brain is metabolically one of the most active Source: John Hopkins Medicine organs in the body and is highly susceptible to free radical attack and oxidative stress. Datura stramonium exerts neurotoxic effects by increasing oxidative stress [25], while ascorbic acid delays or prevents oxidative stress.…”

Mitigation of Lead (Pb2+) and Cadmium (Cd2+) synthetic wastewater using Datura metel fruit peel biochar- zinc oxide nanocomposite

“…The fruit is globose with an armed capsule consisting green colored young seeds that later turns into brown circular, compressed, rugose. The stalk is dark purpulish with leaves minutely tomentose on both sides, base obtusely cuneate, unequal at base (Das et al 2023;Igben et al 2023).…”