Research Article Calabash Chalk’s Geophagy Affects Gestating Rats’ Behavior and the Histomorphology of the Cerebral Cortex Moses B. Ekong, 1 Aniekan I. Peter, 1 Theresa B. Ekanem, 2 Mokutima A. Eluwa, 2 Christopher C. Mbadugha, 1 and Eme E. Osim 3 1 Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Uyo, PMB 1017, Uyo, Nigeria 2 Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Calabar, PMB 1115, Calabar, Nigeria 3 Department of Physiology, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Calabar, PMB 1115, Calabar, Nigeria Correspondence should be addressed to Moses B. Ekong; mbe lashpoint@yahoo.com Received 20 June 2013; Revised 4 October 2013; Accepted 28 October 2013; Published 19 January 2014 Academic Editor: Jose R. Perez-Polo Copyright © 2014 Moses B. Ekong et al. his is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Introduction. Calabash chalk contains heavy metals, and this lead to this study on the efect of this chalk on the behavior and the histomorphology of the cerebral cortex of gestating rats. Material & Methods. 24 female rats were equally divided into 4 groups and were mated at preostrous with the males. he day ater mating was designated as day 1 of gestation. On gestation days 7–20, groups 1, 2, 3, and 4 animals were treated with 1 mL of distilled water, and 1 mL (200 mg/kg), 2 mL (400 mg/kg), and 3 mL (600 mg/kg) of calabash chalk suspension, respectively. On pregnancy day 21, behavioral tests using the open ield and the light/dark mazes were carried out and the animals subsequently euthanized and their brains were routinely processed. Results. here was no diference in ambulatory activities, but group 4 animals had more ( < 0.05) transition frequency and were more averse to the dark in the light and dark ield, while sections of the cerebral cortex showed a higher ( < 0.05) cellular population, hypertrophied pyramidal cells, and vacuolations in the treatment groups. Conclusion. Calabash chalk may have anxiolytic efect especially at high dose in the light and dark ield but not in the open ield and can stimulate maternal cerebral cortical cellular changes. 1. Introduction Geophagy is the practice of eating soil, clay, or chalk, a form of pica [1, 2]. his practice is in place in almost every part of the world, although less frequent in developed societies [3, 4]. Geophagy occurs with animals, as well as humans, in both sexes, and in all races [5]. It is most oten seen in rural or preindustrial societies among children and pregnant women [4, 6, 7]. Clay consumption is correlated with pregnancy, and some women eat clay to eliminate nausea, possibly because the clay coats the gastrointestinal tract [8, 9]. his process may also result in the absorption of dangerous toxins and eggs of parasites that may have been passed in animal faeces [10, 11]. Occupation, marital status, and gestational age are factors associated with geophagy. Anaemia and red blood cell characteristics suggestive of iron deiciency, as well as Ascaris lumbricoides infection, are some of the other factors associated with geophagy [10]. One other complication of the act of geophagy is “geophagic syndrome,” which is marked by growth retardation, delayed sexual maturity, and liver and spleen enlargements [12]. he act of geophagy is a common practice in Nigeria and some other subsaharan African countries [10]. One of such is the eating of a clay and chalk mixture called calabash chalk. Calabash chalk is also known as calabash clay, Calabar stones, poto, la craie or argile in French, nzu by the Igbos, and ndom by the Eiks/Ibibios of Nigeria, as well as mabele by the Lingala of Congo. It is commercially available and may be sold in blocks, as large pellets and in powder forms [13]. Calabash chalk is generally made up of aluminium silicate hydroxide, which is a known member of the kaolin clay group, with the formula: Al 2 Si 2 O 5 OH 4 [14]. Several other substances which could be poisonous to the body have also Hindawi Publishing Corporation International Journal of Brain Science Volume 2014, Article ID 394847, 8 pages http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2014/394847