Chemical analysis of calabash chalk and its effect on locomotor activities and behavior in Swiss albino mice

Continuous exposure of young women to calabash chalk, especially at child-bearing age, necessitated this study to analyze the chemical constituents of calabash chalk and to evaluate its effect on locomotor activities and behavior in Swiss albino mice. Dried cubes of calabash chalk were purchased and analyzed by atomic and flame atomic absorption spectrophotometer. Twenty-four Swiss-albino mice were taken and divided into four groups: control (1 ml distilled water) and three treated groups with the doses of 200 mg/kg, 400 mg/kg, and 600 mg/kg of calabash chalk suspension, respectively, by oral gavage. Hole Cross, Hole Board, and Open Field tests were performed to evaluate the locomotor activities, behavior, and anxiety along with measurement of body weight. The data were analyzed by SPSS-software. Chemical analysis of calabash chalk showed the presence of trace elements along with some heavy metals such as lead (19.26 ppm), Chromium (34.73 ppm), and arsenic (4.57 ppm). After 21 days of oral administration of calabash chalk, the study showed a significant decrease in body weight in the treated groups of mice (p < 0.01). Decreased locomotor activities were also observed in all three experiments. Significantly decreased locomotion and behaviors were also observed in the hole crossing, line crossing, head dipping, grooming, rearing, stretch attend, central square entry, central square duration, defecation, and urination, in a dose-dependent manner (p < 0.01). These effects also prove the anxiogenic behavior of calabash chalk in albino mice. Heavy metals are believed to be harmful to the brain and responsible for cognitive dysfunction and elevated anxiety. In this study, decreased body weight in mice may occur due to disorders in hunger and thirst centers of the brain by heavy metals. Therefore, heavy metals may be responsible for muscle weakness, decreased locomotor activities, and axiogenic effects of mice.