title: Effect of bracken (Pteridium a quilinum) and dryopteris (Dryopteris juxtaposita) fern toxicity in laboratory rabbits.
abstract: Experimental studies with Bracken and Dryopteris ferns @ 25% concentrate ration mixture were conducted in rabbits. Fern fed rabbits showed progressive anaemia, leukopaenia, lymphopaenia and relative heterophilia. Significant elevations in serum enzymes like serum glutamate oxaloactate transminase (SGOT), serum glutamate pyruvate transminase (SGPT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), urea and creatinine levels were seen. Histopathologically, rabbits showed mild to moderate vascular changes in most of visceral organs, vacuolar degenerative changes in hepatocytes, hypersecretory activity in intestine, presence of casts in renal tubules and degenerative changes in renal tubular lining epithelial cells. Dryopteris fed rabbits showed somewhat more severe degenerative and vascular changes in different intervals. A low level of toxic principle ptaquiloside was detected in Bracken and Dryopteris ferns by thin layer chromatography (TLC) and high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) methods.
authors.affiliation: Division of Pathology, Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar, India.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gounalan
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Somvanshi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kataria
authors.forename: G S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Bisht
authors.forename: B L
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: D R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Lauren
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D007189:Indans; D007668:Kidney / Q000473:pathology; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D009206:Myocardium / Q000473:pathology; D010939:Plant Poisoning / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D010947:Plants, Toxic / Q000737:chemistry; D011817:Rabbits; D012717:Sesquiterpenes; D013729:Terpenes / Q000032:analysis / Q000633:toxicity
chemical_list: D007189:Indans; D012717:Sesquiterpenes; D013729:Terpenes; C043680:ptaquiloside