Effects of Datura stramonium crude ethanolic leaf extract on some hematological indices in adult male Wistar albino rats

Abstract

Datura stramonium is a well-known medicinal plant with a long history of outstanding therapeutic applications, toxic properties as well as mind altering potentials. This 21-day research was aimed to explore the effects of varying doses of the plant's crude ethanolic leaf extract on certain physiological and hematological parameters due to adverse effects attributed to its common misuse. Twenty male Wistar albino rats were randomly divided into four groups of five rats each for oral administration of the extract: control group (no extract), low, medium, and high dosage groups (50, 100, and 200 mg/kg body weight of extract, respectively). Standard laboratory techniques were used for physiological and hematological analyses. In the low dose test group, there was a significant (p0.05) changes in most Red Blood Cell (RBC) differentials, except for a significant (p