Tumor induction in germ-free rats fed bracken (Pteridium aquilinum).
This study indicated that there was no significant difference in the incidence of intestinal tumors between germ-free and conventional rats fed a diet containing bracken, suggesting that gut microflora did not play a definite role in bracken tumorigenesis. However, bracken induced exclusively sarcoma but no adenocarcinoma in germ-free rats, whereas it induced predominantly adenocarcinoma in conventional rats.
D000818:Animals; D001711:Biotransformation; D005856:Germ-Free Life; D009374:Neoplasms, Experimental / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D010945:Plants, Edible; D010947:Plants, Toxic; D051381:Rats