South Asian Research Journal of Natural Products

The study investigated the bioactivity and biosafety of lyophilized hydroethanolic Datura stramonium seed extracts. The plant commonly known as the Devil's Trumpet, is a widespread weed in Zimbabwe, found in disturbed areas such as roadsides, fallow fields, and waste grounds. The plant, with its large, trumpet-shaped flowers and prickly seed pods, is easily recognizable and is used frequently in traditional Zimbabwean medicine to treat various ailments, including pain, fever, and inflammation. The use of the plant has, however, been associated with adverse toxicity issues including reported fatalities. In the present study, the phytoscreening was done using various classical chemistry techniques, antimicrobial activity was assessed using the agar well diffusion and broth dilution methods and the acute toxicity was evaluated using OECD TG 425. The lyophilized extract demonstrated potent antimicrobial activity against a range of microorganisms, including Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli, with a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 100 mg/mL. Phytochemical analysis identified the presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins, glycosides and phenolic acids, which may contribute to the observed bioactivities. Acute toxicity studies however confirmed the toxicity issues associated with this plant in folk medicinal practices. Serious adverse effects including mortality were observed at 2000 mg/kg body weight in laboratory rats. It was therefore concluded that despite the huge potential as a potent antimicrobial agent, the use of the plant in traditional medicine poses a risk to patients and should only be used with caution or excluded from treatment regiments until further studies on sub-acute toxicity profiles at lower doses and mechanisms of action have fully been investigated.