Pteridium Research Articles

Evaluation of a traditional Māori harvesting method for sampling kōura (freshwater crayfish, Paranephrops planifrons) and toi toi (bully, Gobiomorphus spp.) populations in two New Zealand streams

ABSTRACT Representative sampling of crayfish in streams is often impractical, especially in non-wadable habitats, or in areas with soft substrates. Whakaweku are artificial habitats made from bracken fern (Pteridium esculentum) that can be used successfully in a range of habitats. We compared whakaweku, minnow traps, fyke nets and electrofishing for sampling freshwater crayfish (kōura; Paranephrops planifrons) and bullies (toi toi; Gobiomorphus spp.) in two streams with differing stream characteristics and fish assemblages. Whakaweku captured a full-size range of kōura of both sexes, including small kōura (OCL 7–12 mm) that were not caught by minnow traps or fyke nets. Colonisation by kōura reached 90% of maximum after 2 weeks and CPUE was constant from 2 to 9 weeks. After 9 weeks, CPUE decreased due to decay of the fern fronds. Whakaweku are an effective sampling tool that are inexpensive, simple to set, and do not require expensive equipment or specialised training.

Bracken fern toxicity and its associated clinicopathological effects in humans and animals: a review

Bracken fern is a delicacy consumed by humans and serves as animal forage around the world. It is said to be the 5th most common plant, an important toxic plant and the only higher plant known to cause cancer in animals. Occurrence of urinary bladder neoplasia is extremely high in cattle and it is associated with the continuous consumption of bracken fern. Animals are affected by bracken toxic active components, leading to huge economic losses. Bracken fern toxicity in cattle presents the following clinical signs of pyrexia, epistaxis, melena, chronic weight loss, dysphagia, incoordination and haemorrhagic lesions on the udder. The thiaminase content in bracken fern causes anorexia and incoordination in horses while the signs of bracken fern toxicity in ovines generally lead to retinal neuroepithelium degeneration. In bovines, bracken fern toxicity is a known aetiology in the depression of bone marrow haematopoietic activity characterised by anaemia, leucopenia, thrombocytopenia and haematuria which are cardinal haematopathology associated with bracken poisoning. Significant elevations in serum enzymes like aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), urea and creatinine levels were seen in animals exposed to bracken fern. Diagnosis of bracken toxicity is based on evidence of ingestion with appropriate clinical and postmortem findings, histopathological examination, polymerase chain reaction and immunohistochemistry are also very important tools in diagnosis. In conclusion, special attention should be given to this plant by toxicologists, botanists, veterinarians, toxicopathologists, oncologists and public health specialists. The human populace, farmers inclusive, should be educated about the public health significance of this plant.

Detection of bovine Deltapapillomavirus DNA in peripheral blood of healthy sheep (Ovis aries).

Blood samples from 65 sheep were tested for the presence of bovine Deltapapillomavirus (δPVs) DNA. The sheep were divided into three groups. Sheep in groups 1 and 2 were from Sardinia and Campania, respectively, and were in contact with cattle and grazed on lands contaminated with bracken fern. Sheep in Group 3 lived in closed pens and had no contact with cattle. These sheep were fed hay that did not contain bracken fern. Bovine δPV E5 DNA was detected in blood from 24 of 27 (89%) sheep in Group 1. A single bovine δPV type was detected in the blood from nine (33%) sheep, including the detection of bovine δPV-1 DNA in four sheep, bovine δPV-2 in four and δPV-13 in one sheep. Two δPV types were detected in 33% of the sheep, and three bovine δPV types were detected in 22% of the sheep. Bovine δPVs were detected in 17 of 20 (85%) sheep from Group 2. The detection rate by a single δPV type was 40% with just δPV-1 DNA amplified from two, just δPV-2 DNA from four, and just δPV-13 DNA from two sheep. Two and three δPVs were detected in 30% and 15%, respectively. All sequenced amplicons showed a 100% identity with papillomaviral E5 DNA deposited in GenBank. Bovine δPV-14 DNA sequences were not detected from any sheep. No bovine δPV DNA was revealed in blood samples from sheep in Group 3. The detection of bovine δPV DNA in the blood of sheep means that sheep may be able to be infected by these PVs. This suggests that bovine δPVs could potentially be a previously unrecognized cause of disease in sheep. Furthermore, it is possible that sheep could act as a reservoir for these viruses.

Formal recognition of six subordinate taxa within the South American bracken fern, Pteridium esculentum (P. esculentum subsp. arachnoideum s.l.—Dennstaedtiaceae), based on morphology and geography

Based on the morphological study of ca. 470 specimens and geographical studies, we here propose the recognition of six morphotypes within the South American Pteridium esculentum (= P. arachnoideum s.l., or P. aquilinum var. arachnoideum sensu Tryon, or P. esculentum subsp. arachnoideum sensu Thomson). Three of them are widely distributed and well-defined, and we regard them as subspecies of P. esculentum: P. esculentum subsp. arachnoideum s. str., P. esculentum subsp. campestre, comb. et stat. nov., and P. esculentum subsp. gryphus. The other three are more rare. One of these is a pedomorphic form of P. esculentum subsp. arachnoideum, which we name as P. esculentum subsp. arachnoideum var. paedomorficum, nom. nov. The other is a glabrous form of P. esculentum subsp. gryphus, which we name P. esculentum subsp. gryphus var. harpianum, var. nov. The third is a putative hybrid between P. esculentum subsp. arachnoideum and P. esculentum subsp. campestre. All six taxa are keyed, described, illustrated, mapped, and discussed. Pteridium esculentum subsp. arachnoideum s. str. forms an arc of distribution from eastern, to southern, to western South America (but not occurring west of the Andes); Pteridium esculentum subsp. campestre forms an arc of distribution from northeastern Brazil to northern South America (not occurring west of the Andes either); and P. esculentum subsp. gryphus forms an arc of distribution from western to northern South America (occurring also west of the Andes and in Galapagos). This one is morphologically more similar to the Australasian P. esculentum subsp. esculentum.

Highlands Vulnerability to Cattle Rearing in Momo Division, North West Cameroon

Highlands constitute high energy environments that accommodate wealth of ecological resources for the benefit of mankind. In exploiting these resources for economic fortunes, man has placed himself superior by employing unsustainable practices with the notion that these ecological reservoirs would continue to provide more and more resources unabated. Nature, however always has its way to resurrect from this mishap by sending feedbacks which undermine the very survival of mankind. It is therefore with regards to this that the ecological impulses transmitted by the highlands of Momo Division due to unsustainable practices signal a signpost that the harmonious nexus between man, environment and economic fortune is a call for concern. This paper therefore had as objective to examine the nature of the highlands in Momo Division and how they impact on the cattle population. It equally focused on examining the local management strategies adopted by the pastoralists amidst observed retreating rangelands. In achieving these goals, the study adopted the descriptive and analytical methods of investigation. Vital primary data were generated through field observations, interviews and focused group discussions while secondary data involved the use of published and unpublished works and internet sources. The results obtain indicate that the highlands are under intense pressure from cattle rearing, settlement expansion and the forces of nature. The grazing fields are equally retreating due to the invasion of the rangelands by the bracken fern and other unpalatable species of fodder. The study reveals that the pastoralists are adapting to these changes through mobility, paddocking and pasture regeneration. However, it is noted that the present adaptation and innovation strategies employed lives much to be desired and therefore recommends government action through sensitization, training, seminars, workshops and financial assistance to the pastoralists.

Plants that can be Poisonous for Cows. A Review

Romania is blessed with a rich spontaneous flora, but some of the plants are toxic by their consumption in cattle, affecting the health, productions and endangering consumer safety. Sometimes even the consumption of small amounts causes poisoning with a broad extension: from mild, moderate to severe and with chronic or acute manifestations. Plant action is not similar. Taxus Buccata, Eupatorium spp. (E. rugosum, E. urticaefolium, E. ogeratoides) are cardiotoxic plants, but, Eupatorium spp. also acts through depression of the central nervous system; Datura stramonium (Jimson weed), Solanum spp. (nightshades), Atropa belladonna (belladonna), are plants with cholinergic blocking; haemolytic anemia is caused by Pteridium aquilinum (Bracken fern) and Equisetum (horsetail). The poisoning with cyanogenic principles occurs at Sorghum spp (Johnson grass, sudan grass); Elderberry consumption, Senecio spp. and Hypericum (St John’s wort) induces liver toxicity. Plants containing alkaloids outside their toxicity also have teratogenic action: Lupinus spp., Nicotiana spp, Conium maculatum, Veratrum album. However, some of these plants can be used in certain cows’ treatments.

Effect of coking wastewater on the growth and energy production of five wetland plant species

ABSTRACTIn order to investigate effect of coking wastewater (CW) on the growth and energy production of wetland plant species, cress (C), felon herb (FH), cockspur grass (CG), water shield (WS), and bracken fern (BF) were used to purify the CW. Results showed that high concentration of CW caused decreased photosynthetic rate, transpiration rate, and relative growth rate. C, WS, and BF showed higher adaptability than FH and CG. Below a CW concentration of 30%, growth of C, WS, and BF was less affected. Energy recovery of C, WS, and BF were more favorable when they grew in CW.

High-resolution mapping of upland swamp vegetation using an unmanned aerial vehicle-hyperspectral system

Mapping of vegetation species and communities in sensitive ecosystems is essential for identification and management of anthropogenic impacts. Unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)-hyperspectral systems are among the latest technologies in remote sensing that hold a potential for obtaining unprecedented quality of remote sensing data for vegetation mapping and health status monitoring applications. In this study, high-resolution (1–1.5 cm) spectral imaging data (15 bands) from a tunable spectrometer is used to map five species of vegetation in a complex upland swamp environment. The overall accuracy of classification was found to be 88.9% with a kappa coefficient of 0.83. Three classes (bare earth, sedgeland grass and black sheoak) have achieved higher accuracy (above 78%) and one class (bracken fern) has lower accuracy (58%). UAV-hyperspectral technology is, therefore, an effective tool to identify and map sensitive swamp vegetation. The technology can be potentially applied to determine the health status of the species.

A DFT Study of the Conversion of Ptaquiloside, a Bracken Fern Carcinogen, to Pterosin B in Neutral and Acidic Aqueous Medium

AbstractThe conversion of ptaquiloside (PtQ), a bracken fern (Pteridium aquilinum) carcinogen, to pterosin B (PtB), which is involved in the underlying mechanisms of PtQ genotoxicity and carcinogenicity, has been theoretically studied in aqueous neutral (AN) and acid (AA) media, using DFT methods at the PCM(water)‐B3LYP/6‐31G(d)//B3LYP/6‐31G(d) computational level. The β‐elimination of glucose in AN and four reactive channels (A‐D) defined by as many protonation sites in PtQ were calculated. Activation enthalpy decreases (from 42.0 to 12.6 kcal mol−1) in AA relative to AN suggesting protic catalysis. The most favoured channel A started with protonation of the tertiary O15 hydroxyl of PtQ and SN1 water release with strong stabilisation by the spirocyclopropane ring. Natural population analysis and electron localisation function analysis showed significant electron depopulation of vicinal C−C bonds and the remarkable leaving character of the quaternary carbon, which enhanced the nucleophilic attack of water on the distal methylenes while the glucose fragment was retained. This intermediate was unstable, degrading rapidly to a stable PtB‐glucose‐water‐H+ molecular complex whose calculated electronic spectrum (λmax=271.5 nm) matched the value of an intermediate reported earlier with a different structure. PtQ‐dienone, long assumed as the carcinogenic form of PtQ, is not formed in AA but only and unfavourably so in protonated form assisted by one molecule of water.

Helicobacter Pylori IgG Sero-Prevalence Study in Two Adjacent Regions of Contrasting Gastric Cancer Rates and Bracken Fern Frequency in Western Venezuela

As Human Gastric Cancer Death Rates (HGCDR) is unevenly distributed in western Venezuela, we explored possible risk factors, among which Helicobacter Pylori (Hp) infection alongside bracken fern invasion could be differential contributors. A prospective transversal study for Hp seroprevalence was conducted in a large number of healthy individuals (15-65 years) in two geographically distinct zones (low megathermic and mountain mesothermic, 0-3000 meters) employing IgG Hp ELISA response at district level.

Annular Stenotic Oesophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma in Cattle Exposed Naturally to Bracken Fern (Pteridium arachnoideum)

Oesophageal squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs) may be observed as exophytic masses or ulcerative or infiltrative endophytic neoplasms. However, in cattle, there is also an uncommon gross presentation as an annular stenotic thickening of the oesophageal wall. Thirteen cases of annular stenotic oesophageal SCC in cattle grazing in bracken fern (Pteridium arachnoideum) areas are reported. The lesions consisted of endophytic masses, focally extensive, firm and circumferential (annular) in the oesophageal wall. Pronounced wrinkling of the mucosa, with retracted uneven areas and subsequent luminal narrowing (stenosis), was observed in all cases. Papillomas and squamous intraepithelial lesions also were observed in these cases. The SCCs were graded as well differentiated (n=7), moderately differentiated (n=5) or poorly differentiated (n=1). The neoplastic keratinocytes were surrounded by moderate to abundant fibrous connective tissue (a desmoplastic reaction), that was better demonstrated by Masson's trichrome stain. Picrosirius red-stained sections showed abundant collagen type I fibres, which contributed to the stenosing characteristics of this tumour. Although it might be easily misdiagnosed as oesophageal scar tissue, the oesophageal SCCs of cattle grazing bracken fern may have a distinctive gross appearance that should be included in the differential diagnosis of oesophageal stenosis.

Study on Processing Methods to Remove Toxic Ptaquiloside from Bracken Fern

Study on Processing Methods to Remove Toxic Ptaquiloside from Bracken Fern

Tissue damage and embryonic malformation induced by aqueous extract of Pteridium aquilinum on chorioallantoic membrane of chick embryo (CAM)

The aim of this study was evaluate the effects of Bracken fern (BF) (Pteridium aquilinum (L.) Kuhn.) on biological systems. When consumed by animals can cause acute intoxication, hematuria, biochemistry alterations and cancer. To humans the toxicity is associated with its intake on contaminated ground water or milk and inhalation of its spores. In order to check the BF aqueous extract (AEB) deleterious effects on animals blood vessels system, chick embryo chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) was used. It were applying on CAM 0.1, 0.5, 1, 5, 10 e 15 µg/mL of AEB and saline as control. The angiogenesis was analyzed and the vascular density index (VDI) calculated. The CAM samples were prepared and stained with H&E to evaluation of microvessels, Masson’s trichrome to characterize collagen and fibrin deposition and Picro-sirius used to evaluate collagen using polarized light. Also the morphological aspects of embryos were analysed. We observe on the results of neovascularization that AEB did not change significantly the number of vessels/mm², however, membranes treated with AEB (5 or 10 µg/mL) exhibit opacity and tissue fibrosis, both signs of inflammation. Histological analysis with Masson's trichrome and picro-sirius on tissues exposed to AEB respectively has shown increased collagen fibers and presence of fibrilar collagen. The embryos exposed to concentrations of 5 or 10 µg/mL AEB, showed changes as poor face formation and poor closing of abdominal wall. The highest concentration of AEB (15 µg/mL) was lethal to embryos. Although significant effects on the CAM’s vasculature has not observed, tissue aggression was detected, a desmoplasia (an extensive inflammatory signal triggered by tissue injury), changes caused on embryos as well as the presence of toxic substances in the AEB show us an important and deleterious pathway of this bracken fern extract on its intoxicants effects on humans and animals, and even cancer or the death of animals.

Accumulation of Zinc by Pteridium aquilinum (bracken fern) with different plant stimulants and bioassay with Clarias gariepinus

Accumulation of Zinc by Pteridium aquilinum (bracken fern) with different plant stimulants and bioassay with Clarias gariepinus

Bovine enzootic haematuria from consumption of Pteris deflexa and Pteris plumula in northwestern Argentina

Bovine enzootic haematuria (BEH) is caused by prolonged ingestion of toxic principles of bracken fern, essentially by Pteridium spp. In northwestern Argentina, this disease has a great economic impact ant it is attributed a chronic consumption to Pteridium arachnoideum. This paper describes two endemic areas for enzootic hematuria due to the consumption of Pteris deflexa and Pteris plumula. Two areas where P. deflexa and P. plumula are endemic, but free of Pteridium species, were devised and seven farms were visited. The disease was confirmed based on the presence of clinically affected animals. In four necropsies bleeding neoplastic lesions were observed in the mucosa of the urinary bladder. At phytochemical analysis, both ptaquiloside and pterosin B were found in P. deflexa and P. plumula. Thus, the consumption of P. deflexa and P. plumula can also cause BEH.

Revisiting an old disease? Risk factors for bovine enzootic haematuria in the Kingdom of Bhutan

Bovine enzootic haematuria (BEH) is a debilitating disease of cattle caused by chronic ingestion of bracken fern. Control of BEH is difficult when bracken fern is abundant and fodder resources are limited. To fill a significant knowledge gap on modifiable risk factors for BEH, we conducted a case–control study to identify cattle management practices associated with BEH in the Bhutanese cattle population.A case–control study involving 16 of the 20 districts of Bhutan was carried out between March 2012 and June 2014. In Bhutan sodium acid phosphate and hexamine (SAP&H) is used to treat BEH-affected cattle. All cattle greater than three years of age and treated with SAP&H in 2011 were identified from treatment records held by animal health offices. Households with at least one SAP&H-treated cattle were defined as probable cases. Probable case households were visited and re-classified as confirmed case households if the BEH status of cattle was confirmed following clinical examination and urinalysis. Two control households were selected from the same village as the case household. Households were eligible to be controls if: (1) householders reported that none of their cattle had shown red urine during the previous five years, and (2) haematuria was absent in a randomly selected animal from the herd following clinical examination. Details of cattle management practices were elicited from case and control householders using a questionnaire. A conditional logistic regression model was used to quantify the association between exposures of interest and household BEH status.A total of 183 cases and 345 controls were eligible for analysis. After adjusting for known confounders, the odds of free-grazing for two and three months in the spring were 3.81 (95% CI 1.27–11.7) and 2.28 (95% CI 1.15–4.53) times greater, respectively, in case households compared to controls. The odds of using fresh fern and dry fern as bedding in the warmer months were 2.05 (95% CI 1.03–4.10) and 2.08 (95% CI 0.88–4.90) times greater, respectively, in cases compared to controls.This study identified two husbandry practices that could be modified to reduce the risk of BEH in Bhutanese cattle. Avoiding the use of bracken fern as bedding is desirable, however, if fern is the only available material, it should be harvested during the colder months of the year. Improving access to alternative fodder crops will reduce the need for householders to rely on free-grazing as the main source of metabolisable energy for cattle during the spring.

Changes of effective half-lives of 137Cs in three herbaceous plants and bioavailable 137Cs fraction in soil after the Fukushima nuclear accident

We measured cesium-137 concentrations from June 2011 to May 2016 in three wild edible herbaceous species, i.e. giant butterbur (Petasites japonicus), knotweed (Trifolium pratense), and mugwort (Artemisia indica var. maximowiczii), that were grown on the same sampling field in Chiba Prefecture, Japan. The pattern of plant 137Cs concentrations versus time could be described well with the two-component exponential decline (short-term and long-term components), and the half-lives of these three plant species were between 103 and 230 d for the short component and 970–3830 d for the long component. During April 2014 to May 2016, due to the slow decline in the 137Cs concentrations in these three plant species, we assumed that the bioavailable 137Cs fraction in the observation ground soil was almost the same in this period. Then, values of the aggregated transfer factor from soil to plant (Tag) were calculated for these plant species, and the values ranged from 5.3 × 10−5 to 1.6 × 10−4 m2 kg−1-fresh. We also calculated Tag values for wild edible herbaceous plants in Fukushima Prefecture using open data sources that were reported from January 2014 to June 2016. The five plant species included were giant butterbur (P. japonicus), western bracken fern (Pteridium aquilinum), Japanese royal fern (Osmunda japonica), ostrich fern (Matteuccia struthiopteris) and momijigasa (Parasenecio delphiniifolius). The Tag values ranged from 1.4 × 10−4 to 7.0 × 10−4 m2 kg−1-fresh and were similar to those measured in our Chiba field study.

Ethyl acetate fraction from Pteridium aquilinum ameliorates cognitive impairment in high-fat diet-induced diabetic mice

Ethyl acetate fraction from Pteridium aquilinum ameliorates cognitive impairment in high-fat diet-induced diabetic mice

Detection and mapping the spatial distribution of bracken fern weeds using the Landsat 8 OLI new generation sensor

Bracken fern is an invasive plant that presents serious environmental, ecological and economic problems around the world. An understanding of the spatial distribution of bracken fern weeds is therefore essential for providing appropriate management strategies at both local and regional scales. The aim of this study was to assess the utility of the freely available medium resolution Landsat 8 OLI sensor in the detection and mapping of bracken fern at the Cathedral Peak, South Africa. To achieve this objective, the results obtained from Landsat 8 OLI were compared with those derived using the costly, high spatial resolution WorldView-2 imagery. Since previous studies have already successfully mapped bracken fern using high spatial resolution WorldView-2 image, the comparison was done to investigate the magnitude of difference in accuracy between the two sensors in relation to their acquisition costs. To evaluate the performance of Landsat 8 OLI in discriminating bracken fern compared to that of Worldview-2, we tested the utility of (i) spectral bands; (ii) derived vegetation indices as well as (iii) the combination of spectral bands and vegetation indices based on discriminant analysis classification algorithm. After resampling the training and testing data and reclassifying several times (n=100) based on the combined data sets, the overall accuracies for both Landsat 8 and WorldView-2 were tested for significant differences based on Mann-Whitney U test. The results showed that the integration of the spectral bands and derived vegetation indices yielded the best overall classification accuracy (80.08% and 87.80% for Landsat 8 OLI and WorldView-2 respectively). Additionally, the use of derived vegetation indices as a standalone data set produced the weakest overall accuracy results of 62.14% and 82.11% for both the Landsat 8 OLI and WorldView-2 images. There were significant differences {U (100)=569.5, z=−10.8242, p<0.01} between the classification accuracies derived based on Landsat OLI 8 and those derived using WorldView-2 sensor. Although there were significant differences between Landsat and WorldView-2 accuracies, the magnitude of variation (9%) between the two sensors was within an acceptable range. Therefore, the findings of this study demonstrated that the recently launched Landsat 8 OLI multispectral sensor provides valuable information that could aid in the long term continuous monitoring and formulation of effective bracken fern management with acceptable accuracies that are comparable to those obtained from the high resolution WorldView-2 commercial sensor.

Free Axial Lobes: An Important Diagnostic Character in Pteridium (Dennstaedtiaceae)

The overall form of the lamina in the bracken fern (Pteridium) is a fractal series in which blade, pinnae, pinnules and pinnulets represent a hierarchy of repeated units of decreasing size. Distinctive lunate or semi-lunate lobes of laminal tissue between the divisions of the blade in an apical zone of some or all of its axes are an important diagnostic feature. These “free lobes” link Pteridium esculentum (G. Forst.) Cockayne subsp. esculentum from Australasia with P. esculentum subsp. arachnoideum (Kaulf.) J.A. Thomson from Central and South America and separate both from P. aquilinum (L.) Kuhn. The development, pattern of distribution on laminal axes and variation of form of the free lobes in P. esculentum subsp. esculentum are described here. Although basic frond architecture as reflected in pinna spacing on the rachis is largely independent of the size of the lamina, the number and pattern of occurrence of free lobes is significantly correlated with the length of axial intervals and hence with frond size and laminal dissection. Attention is drawn to the likelihood that a genetic polymorphism may underlie development of free lobes in P. esculentum subsp. arachnoideum. The presence or absence of free axial lobes may be a useful marker for detection of introgression following hybridisation of P. esculentum and P. aquilinum.