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Gil da Costa RM, Povey A, Medeiros-Fonseca B, Ramwell C, O'Driscoll C, Williams D, Hansen HCB, Rasmussen LH, Fletcher MT, O'Connor P, Bradshaw RHW, Robinson R, Mason J. Sixty years of research on bracken fern (Pteridium spp.) toxins: Environmental exposure, health risks and recommendations for bracken fern control. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2024; 257:119274. [PMID: 38821456 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2024.119274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2024] [Revised: 05/07/2024] [Accepted: 05/28/2024] [Indexed: 06/02/2024]
Abstract
Bracken fern (Pteridium spp.) is a highly problematic plant worldwide due to its toxicity in combination with invasive properties on former farmland, in deforested areas and on disturbed natural habitats. The carcinogenic potential of bracken ferns has caused scientific and public concern for six decades. Its genotoxic effects are linked to illudane-type glycosides (ITGs), their aglycons and derivatives. Ptaquiloside is considered the dominating ITG, but with significant contributions from other ITGs. The present review aims to compile evidence regarding environmental pollution by bracken fern ITGs, in the context of their human and animal health implications. The ITG content in bracken fern exhibits substantial spatial, temporal, and chemotaxonomic variation. Consumption of bracken fern as food is linked to human gastric cancer but also causes urinary bladder cancers in bovines browsing on bracken. Genotoxic metabolites are found in milk and meat from bracken fed animals. ITG exposure may also take place via contaminated water with recent data pointing to concentrations at microgram/L-level following rain events. Airborne ITG-exposure from spores and dust has also been documented. ITGs may synergize with major biological and environmental carcinogens like papillomaviruses and Helicobacter pylori to induce cancer, revealing novel instances of chemical and biological co-carcinogenesis. Thus, the emerging landscape from six decades of bracken research points towards a global environmental problem with increasingly complex health implications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui M Gil da Costa
- Department od Morphology, Federal University of Maranhão (UFMA), São Luís, 65080-805, Brazil; Laboratory for Process Engineering, Environment, Biotechnology and Energy (LEPABE), Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465, Porto, Portugal; Associate Laboratory in Chemical Engineering (ALiCE), Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465, Porto, Portugal; Molecular Oncology and Viral Pathology Group, Research Center of IPO Porto (CI-IPOP) / RISE@CI-IPOP (Health Research Network), Portuguese Oncology Institute of Porto (IPO Porto) / Porto Comprehensive Cancer Center (Porto.CCC), 4200-072, Porto, Portugal; Centre for the Research and Technology of Agro-Environmental and Biological Sciences (CITAB), Institute for Innovation, Capacity Building and Sustainability of Agri-Food Production (Inov4Agro), 5001-801, Vila Real, Portugal.
| | - Andrew Povey
- Centre for Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, M13 9PL, UK
| | - Beatriz Medeiros-Fonseca
- Molecular Oncology and Viral Pathology Group, Research Center of IPO Porto (CI-IPOP) / RISE@CI-IPOP (Health Research Network), Portuguese Oncology Institute of Porto (IPO Porto) / Porto Comprehensive Cancer Center (Porto.CCC), 4200-072, Porto, Portugal; Centre for the Research and Technology of Agro-Environmental and Biological Sciences (CITAB), Institute for Innovation, Capacity Building and Sustainability of Agri-Food Production (Inov4Agro), 5001-801, Vila Real, Portugal
| | - Carmel Ramwell
- Fera Science Ltd, York Biotech Campus, Sand Hutton, York, YO41 1LZ, UK
| | - Connie O'Driscoll
- Ryan Hanley Consulting Engineers Ltd., 1 Galway Business Park, Dangan, Galway, H91 A3EF, Ireland
| | - David Williams
- Centre for Chemical Biology, Department of Chemistry, Sheffield Institute for Nucleic Acids, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, S3 7HF, UK
| | - Hans Chr B Hansen
- University of Copenhagen, Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Thorvaldsensvej 40, DK-1871, Frederiksberg C, Denmark
| | - Lars Holm Rasmussen
- Novonesis, Microbe & Culture Research, Bøge Allé 10-12, DK- 2970, Hørsholm, Denmark
| | - Mary T Fletcher
- Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation, The University of Queensland, Health, and Food Science Precinct, 39 Kessels Road, Coopers Plains, QLD, 4108, Australia
| | - Peter O'Connor
- Centre for Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, M13 9PL, UK
| | - Richard H W Bradshaw
- Department of Geography and Planning, School of Environmental Sciences, University of Liverpool, L69 7ZT, UK
| | | | - James Mason
- School of Biochemistry and Immunology, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland
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Yang L, Huang Y, Lima LV, Sun Z, Liu M, Wang J, Liu N, Ren H. Rethinking the Ecosystem Functions of Dicranopteris, a Widespread Genus of Ferns. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2020; 11:581513. [PMID: 33519842 PMCID: PMC7845760 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2020.581513] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2020] [Accepted: 12/14/2020] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
Dicranopteris is an ancient and widespread genus of ferns in pantropical regions. Some species of the genus can form dense thickets, and dominate the understory, which are common and key species in tropical and subtropical ecosystems. However, they were mostly cut or burned in forest management because of forming dense thickets which were considered to interfere with forest regeneration and succession. In the current review, we argue that the Dicranopteris species which are able to rapidly colonize barren areas may contribute to ecosystem recovery, resistance to environmental stress, and succession control. Rapid colonization involves prolific spore production, rapid clonal growth, the generation of high surface cover, and the ability to fill gaps; stress resistance includes resistance to abiotic stress, and the ability to reduce soil erosion from rainfall, alien species invasion, and soil contamination and toxicity; and succession facilitation consists of carbon and nutrient sequestration in soil, moderation of the microclimate, alteration of the soil microbial and faunal communities, and determination of which plant species to be established in the next successional stage. All of these ecosystem functions may be beneficial to ecosystem resilience. We expect that the distribution of Dicranopteris will expand in response to global warming, changes in precipitation patterns, increases in soil pollution, deforestation, and land degradation. We recommend that Dicranopteris, as a pioneer fern and a valuable component of tropical and subtropical ecosystems, needs more attention in future research and better management practices to promote forest regeneration and succession.
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Affiliation(s)
- Long Yang
- Guangdong Open Laboratory of Geospatial Information Technology and Application, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou Institute of Geography, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yuhui Huang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Forest Silviculture, Protection and Utilization, Guangdong Academy of Forestry, Guangzhou, China
| | - Lucas Vieira Lima
- Departamento de Botânica, Laboratório de Sistemática Vegetal, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Zhongyu Sun
- Guangdong Open Laboratory of Geospatial Information Technology and Application, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou Institute of Geography, Guangzhou, China
| | - Meijie Liu
- Guangdong Open Laboratory of Geospatial Information Technology and Application, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou Institute of Geography, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jun Wang
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Restoration and Management of Degraded Ecosystems, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Nan Liu
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Restoration and Management of Degraded Ecosystems, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Hai Ren
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Restoration and Management of Degraded Ecosystems, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Hai Ren,
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Bardon C, Misery B, Piola F, Poly F, Le Roux X. Control of soil N cycle processes byPteridium aquilinumandErica cinereain heathlands along a pH gradient. Ecosphere 2018. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.2426] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Clément Bardon
- Microbial Ecology Centre; INRA; CNRS; UMR INRA 1418; UMR CNRS 5557; Université Lyon 1; Université de Lyon; Villeurbanne Cedex F-69622 France
- LEHNA; UMR CNRS 5023; ENTPE; Université Lyon 1; Université de Lyon; Villeurbanne Cedex F-69622 France
| | - Boris Misery
- Microbial Ecology Centre; INRA; CNRS; UMR INRA 1418; UMR CNRS 5557; Université Lyon 1; Université de Lyon; Villeurbanne Cedex F-69622 France
| | - Florence Piola
- LEHNA; UMR CNRS 5023; ENTPE; Université Lyon 1; Université de Lyon; Villeurbanne Cedex F-69622 France
| | - Franck Poly
- Microbial Ecology Centre; INRA; CNRS; UMR INRA 1418; UMR CNRS 5557; Université Lyon 1; Université de Lyon; Villeurbanne Cedex F-69622 France
| | - Xavier Le Roux
- Microbial Ecology Centre; INRA; CNRS; UMR INRA 1418; UMR CNRS 5557; Université Lyon 1; Université de Lyon; Villeurbanne Cedex F-69622 France
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