Ptaquiloside, the major carcinogen of bracken fern, in the pooled raw milk of healthy sheep and goats: an underestimated, global concern of food safety.
Bracken fern (Pteridium aquilinum) is a worldwide plant containing toxic substances, which represent an important chemical hazard for animals, including humans. Ptaquiloside, 1, a norsesquiterpenoid glucoside, is the major carcinogen of bracken detected in the food chain, particularly in the milk from farm animals. To date, ptaquiloside has been shown in the milk of cows feeding on a diet containing bracken fern. This is the first study that shows the systematic detection of ptaquiloside, 1, and reports its direct quantitation in pooled raw milk of healthy sheep and goats grazing on bracken. Ptaquiloside, 1, was detected by a sensitive method based on the chemical conversion of ptaquiloside, 1, into bromopterosine, 4, following gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis. The presence of ptaquiloside, 1, possibly carcinogenic to humans, in the milk of healthy animals is an unknown potential health risk, thus representing a harmful and potential global concern of food safety.
†Department of Pharmacy, Naples University Federico II, Via D. Montesano 49, 80131 Naples, Italy.
Antonella
A
Virgilio
†Department of Pharmacy, Naples University Federico II, Via D. Montesano 49, 80131 Naples, Italy.
Annamaria
A
Sinisi
‡Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Productions, Naples University Federico II, Via Delpino 1, 80137 Naples, Italy.
Valeria
V
Russo
§Assessorato Politiche della Persona, Ufficio Veterinario, Igiene Alimenti, Tutela Sanitaria Consumatori, Regione Basilicata, Viale Verrastro 9, 85100 Potenza, Italy.
Salvatore
S
Gerardo
‡Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Productions, Naples University Federico II, Via Delpino 1, 80137 Naples, Italy.
Adriano
A
Santoro
†Department of Pharmacy, Naples University Federico II, Via D. Montesano 49, 80131 Naples, Italy.
Aldo
A
Galeone
†Department of Pharmacy, Naples University Federico II, Via D. Montesano 49, 80131 Naples, Italy.
Orazio
O
Taglialatela-Scafati
#Department of Biology, Naples University Federico II, Via Cinzia 21, 80126 Naples, Italy.
Franco
F
Roperto
D000818:Animals; D002273:Carcinogens / Q000032:analysis; D059022:Food Safety; D006041:Goats / Q000378:metabolism*; D007189:Indans / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism; D008892:Milk / Q000737:chemistry*; D032498:Pteridium / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D012717:Sesquiterpenes / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism; D012756:Sheep / Q000378:metabolism*
D002273:Carcinogens; D007189:Indans; D012717:Sesquiterpenes; C043680:ptaquiloside
bracken fern; goats; milk; ptaquiloside; pterosine; sheep