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Risk Assessment and Risk Reduction of Ptaquiloside in Bracken Fern
Min Kook Kim1, Ji Soo Kang1, Amit Kundu2
1Division of Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, Sungkyunkwan University, 2066 Seobu-ro, Jangan-gu, Suwon-si 16419, Republic of Korea.
Toxics
|February 28, 2023
Summary
Boiling bracken fern (BF) for 20 minutes significantly reduces the toxic ptaquiloside (PTA) by 99%. This boiling time ensures safe consumption by lowering cancer and non-cancer risks associated with PTA exposure from BF.
Area of Science:
- Food Science
- Toxicology
- Public Health
Background:
- Bracken fern (BF; *Pteridium aquilinum*) is a common food in East Asia.
- BF contains ptaquiloside (PTA), a toxic compound with carcinogenic potential.
- Assessing and mitigating PTA exposure is crucial for public health.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the optimal boiling time for reducing PTA concentration in BF.
- To conduct a risk assessment for human exposure to PTA from BF consumption.
- To establish safe consumption guidelines for BF.
Main Methods:
- Quantification of PTA in BF using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC).
- Evaluation of PTA reduction after boiling BF for varying durations.
- Cancer and non-cancer risk assessment based on Margin of Exposure (MOE) calculations.
Main Results:
- Boiling BF for 20 minutes reduced PTA concentration by up to 99%.
- A 20-minute boiling period resulted in safe cancer and non-cancer MOE values for average daily exposure.
- Unsafe exposure levels were observed for non-boiled BF and maximum daily exposure scenarios.
Conclusions:
- Boiling BF for at least 20 minutes is recommended to minimize PTA exposure.
- Proper preparation is essential to mitigate health risks associated with BF consumption.
- This study provides evidence-based guidelines for safe consumption of bracken fern.
