Bracken carcinogens

YamadaK, OjikaM, Kigoshi H (1998) Isolation, Chemistry, and Biochemistry of Ptaquilo-side, a Bracken Carcinogen. Angew Chem Int Ed 37 1818... 

Kigoshi, H., Sawada, A., Niwa, H., andYamada, K., Synthesis of a functionalized carbocychc skeleton of ptaquUosin, the aglycone of a bracken carcinogen ptaquiloside based on an intramolecular Diels-Alder reaction. Bull. Chem. Soc. Jpn., 62, 1639, 1989. 

The quest for the bracken carcinogens lasted many years. The many difficulties have been reviewed [36] and in short, were chiefly due to ... 

Evans, I.A. Bracken Carcinogenicity. In Chemical Carcinogens, Second Edition (Searle, C.E. ed.), 2, p. 1171. Washington, D.C. Amer. Chemical Society. 1984. 

The toxic properties of Pteridium aquilinum L., the common bracken fern, have been known to humankind for a very long time. Two principal causes of trouble are its carcinogenic properties (M. Saito et al., 1975 I. A. Evans, 1976 Hirono, 1986)... 

Hirono, 1. 1986. Carcinogenic principles isolated from bracken fern. CRC Crit. Rev. Toxicol. 17 1-22. 

Salto, K., Umeda, M., Takasuki, S., Koyama, K. and Natori, S. 1990. The sesquiterpe-noid carcinogen of bracken fern and some analogs from the Pteridaceae. Phytochemistry 29 1475-1480. 

Salto, M., Umeda, M., Enomoto, M., Hatanaka, Y., Natori, S., Yoshlhlra, K., Fukuoka, M. and Kuroyanagl, M. 1975. Cytotoxicity and carcinogenicity of pterosins and pterosides, 1-indanone derivatives and bracken fern Pteridium aquilinum). Experientia 31 824-831. 

A review on the isolation, chemistry, and biochemistry of the bracken fern (Pte-ridium aquilinum) carcinogen ptaquiloside (P) has been published (527). This fem and others contain the pterosins that were summarized previously (7). No new examples were reported in the interim. 

Slaga TJ, Jecker L, Bracken WM, et al. 1979. The effects of weak or non-carcinogenic polycyclic hydrocarbons on 7,12- dimethylbenz(a)anthracene and benzo(a)pyrene skin tumor-initiation. Cancer Lett 7 51-59. 

Final proof came after chemically detecting the actual carcinogen in milk from bracken-fed cows by HPLC analysis [114]. This point will be resumed later as it makes sense only after a deeper look into bracken bioactive chemistry in the following sections. Direct contact with bracken metabolites may result from other uses. For example, fresh bracken fronds are used in the northern Andes as wrapping of cheese to be smoked, in order to add flavor to the product. Some Wayuu Indians of the Perija Sierra in Western Venezuela bum the dry fronds with a limited air supply inside their huts to fend off mosquitoes. Some communities in Colombia use frond infusions as vermifugues. However, data is still missing to relate these applications to human cancer. But all the well... 

Villalobos-Salazar, J. Meneses, A. Rojas, J. L. Mora, J. Porras, R. E. Herrero, M. V. In Bracken Toxicity and Carcinogenicity as Related to Animal and Human Health. Taylor J. Ed. International Bracken Group Special Publication. Univ. College North Wales, UK. 1989 pp 40-51. 

---