title: Bracken-fern extracts can be clastogenic or aneugenic depending on the tissue cell assay.
abstract: The consumption of bracken fern (Pteridium aquilinum) as food is associated with a high incidence of cancer in humans and animals. We investigated the cytogenetic effects of bracken-fern extracts (hexane extract-HE, ethanol extract-EE, hot water extract-HWE and cold water extract-CWE) on chromosomes of peritoneal and bone-marrow cells of Swiss mice. In peritoneal cells, all four treatments (HE, EE, HWE and CWE) induced structural chromosome aberrations, but the EE also induced numerical chromosome aberrations. In bone-marrow cells both HE and CWE induced structural chromosome aberrations; additionally, the number of abnormal metaphases was higher in peritoneum than in bone marrow. We suggest that bracken fern induces cytogenetic damage through DNA strand breaks and affects chromosome segregation.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Genética e Morfologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade de Brasília, 70910-900 Brasília, DF, Brazil.
authors.forename: Maria de Fátima M
authors.initials: Mde F
authors.lastname: Almeida Santos
authors.forename: José G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Dórea
authors.forename: Helena
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Luna
mesh_terms: D000782:Aneuploidy; D000818:Animals; D001854:Bone Marrow Cells / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology; D019457:Chromosome Breakage; D000431:Ethanol / Q000737:chemistry; D005260:Female; D006586:Hexanes / Q000737:chemistry; D051379:Mice; D009153:Mutagens / Q000633:toxicity*; D010529:Peritoneal Cavity / Q000166:cytology; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000633:toxicity*; D032498:Pteridium / Q000737:chemistry*; D012997:Solvents / Q000737:chemistry; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D006586:Hexanes; D009153:Mutagens; D010936:Plant Extracts; D012997:Solvents; D014867:Water; D000431:Ethanol