Mitigating Effects of Jimsonweed (Datura Stramonium) on Chronic Chlorpyrifos-Induced Toxicity in Wistar Rats

Chlorpyrifos (CFS), a widely used organophosphorus pesticides for agricultural, industrial and residential purposes, caused accidental poisoning in non-target mammals and other living organisms, including labourerers tasked with spraying economic plants. This study evaluated chronic chlorpyrifos-induced toxicity and the ameliorative potential of ethanolic leaf extract of Datura stramonium ((ELEDS) in male Wistar rats. The LD50 of the CFS and ELEDS were found to be 87.3 and 4260 mg/kg. bd. wt., respectively. Fifty (50) adult male Wistar rats were placed at random into five groups of 10 each and treated for 36 weeks, as follows: group I; soya bean oil (SBO) orally at 2 mL/kg. bd. wt., group II; ELEDS at 85.2 mg/kg. bd. wt. orally, group III; CFS at 3.49 mg/kg. bd. wt. orally, group IV; CFS+ELEDS, group V; CFS + atropine (AP) at 0.02 mg/kg. bd. wt. Anaemia developed in CFS-treated rats with significant (p<0.05) decreases in the packed cell volume (PCV) (at week 24, 28, 32 and 36), red blood cell count (RBC) (at week 20, 28, 32 and 36), haemoglobin concentration (Hb) (at week 28 and 36), and platelets (PLT) (at week 28, 32 and 36). CFS-treated rats showed brain vacuolation, degeneration, perivascular and perineuronal oedema and necrosis of the Purkinje cells. While the heart manifested myocardial hypertrophy, degeneration, mild haemorrhages, thickened inter alveolar septa, alveolar capillary congestion, haemorrhages and severe mononuclear cellular infiltration and necrosis of pneumocytes occurred in the lungs. In addition, vacuolation, sinusoidal congestion and circumferential zone of hepatocellular necrosis occurred in the hepatic tissue of CFS-treated rats. In the SBO, CFS+ELEDS, and CFS+AP-treated groups, in contrast, no significant changes were observed in all the parameters analysed. The findings are useful especially in areas where animals are prone to CFS toxicity and the occupationally induced toxicity in individuals exposed to daily low doses of such pesticides, with poor accessibility to antidotes.