Ahmad A. Tijani, Daniel T. Adeniyi and Damilare A. Adekomi
Datura metel is a commonly abused natural plant throughout the world for its hallucinogenic effects. It is also known to produce other effects such as euphoria. Some of its effects were studied in this work using the biochemical estimation of activities of LDH and G6PDH as well as histological examination of visual cortex. Eight adult Wistar rats constituted a group, each of which was treated with 300mg/kg of aqueous extract of Datura metel and the equivalent volume of phosphate buffered saline daily for twenty-one (21) consecutive days. The levels of LDH and G6PDH in the homogenate of visual cortex are higher in the animals treated with Datura metel relative to those of animals in the control group. There is a statistically significant difference in the mean value of LDH of animals treated with Datura relative to the control group animals (p<0.05) but no statistically significant difference in the mean value of G6PDH. Histological findings showed vacuolations and perinuclear spaces in the sections of visual cortices of the animals administered with 300mg/kg/day of the plant extracts for 21 days. The findings in this study suggested that Datura metel altered carbohydrate metabolism by elevating the levels of LDH and G6PDH in the tissue homogenate and altered the cellular and functional integrity of the visual system. It is concluded that the hallucinogenic plant has deleterious effects on the functional integrity of cells of the visual system of Adult Wistar Rats.
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