Effects of bracken fern (Pteridium aquilinum L Kuhn) feeding during the development of female rats and their offspring.
Bracken fern (Pteridium aquilinum L Kuhn), is widely food in many parts of the world; the toxic effects have been demonstrated on many species of animals, and both carcinogenicity and enzootic hematuria has been studied. We investigated the effects of feeding bracken fern on the development of female rats and their offspring. The plant was fed as 30% of the normal diet on an ad libitum basis. Bracken fern did not modify the weight gain of the female rats during development, nor affect estrus cycle duration or milk production, the plant did reduce female fertility and weight gain during pregnancy. It also adversely affected physical and neurobehavioral development in the offspring.
Gerenutti
M
M
Department of Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Zootechny, University of Sao Paulo, Brasil.
Spinosa
H de S
Hde S
Bernardi
M M
MM
D000821:Animal Feed; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn / Q000254:growth & development*; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D004971:Estrus / Q000187:drug effects*; D005260:Female; D007774:Lactation / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D010947:Plants, Toxic; D051381:Rats; D012018:Reflex / Q000187:drug effects