Abstract The common fern, bracken (Pteridium aquilinum), is well known for its toxic effects on livestock due principally to the carcinogenic constituent ptaquiloside ( 1), although other toxins are present including cyanogenic glycoside, prunasin 2). Here, we report an improved and relatively “green” process isolation of 1 2 from fresh fronds evaluation cytotoxicity against several cancer cell...

Calluna vulgaris, Molinia caerulea and Pteridium aquilinum are three forest understorey species that compete with tree seedlings for environmental resources. Forest managers therefore seek to control their growth, which is driven in part by the light available in the forest understorey. An experiment was set up in a nursery in which the three understorey species C. vulgaris, M. caerulea and P. ...

Hexavalent chromium (Cr VI) is a highly toxic environmental pollutant produced as byproduct of stainless steel manufacture and leather tanning. Several vegetal Cr VI-accumulating species have been investigated in phytoremediation, promising technology to remove heavy metals from soils water bodies. The aim this work was test the sensitivity, accumulation remotion VI both life cycle phases fern ...

Several toxic substances have been detected in plants which are responsible for animal and human diseases. Bracken fern (Pteridium aquilinum) is one example, widely distributed in many parts of the world. It is known to cause cancer in humans and other animals. In fact, man can be directly or indirectly exposed to the danger by consuming fern, contaminated water, milk, meat, and spore inhalatio...