Biology and Medicine

Abstrait

Effects of Prenatal Exposure to Hyoscyamine Fraction of Daturastramonium Seeds on Physical Growth Indices and Bodyweight in Wistar Rat Pups (Rattusnorvegicus)

Idris Abdu Tela, Sunday Abraham Musa, Ibrahim Abdullahi Iliya, James Oliver Nzalak

The study aimed to evaluate the effects of prenatal exposure to hyoscyamine fraction of Datura stramonium (D. stramonium) seeds on physical growth indices and body weight in Wistar rat pups. Fresh seeds of D. stramonium were procured, identified, macerated and fractionated. Eight (8) Wistar rats weighed 150-250 grams comprised of equal gender were used for the study. The rats were mated and divided into control and treated groups. Equivalent body weight of normal saline and 200 mg/kgbwt of hyoscyamine fraction were orally administered to them respectively on gestational days (GD) 15-20. The litters obtained were observed for gross physical malformation and growth indices (i.e. ear-detachment, hair-growth, eye-opening and teeth-eruption). The animals each group were weighed weekly from neonate to adulthood (PND 8-84). The data obtained were expressed as mean ± SEM. Pearson’s chi-square test of association and General Linear Model (GLM) repeated-measures ANOVA followed by Fisher’s multiple comparisons post-hoc tests were used to show the mean differences using Minitab 17 (LLC., U.K.) statistical package software. P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. There was no association between prenatal exposure to hyoscyamine fraction of Datura stramonium seeds and physical growth indices (p>0.05). However, a statistically significant decrease in the postnatal weight gain was observed (p<0.05) between the groups. In conclusion, prenatal exposure to hyoscyamine fraction does not affect physical growth indices it, however, decreased postnatal body weight gain in Wistar rat pups.