Pteridaceae

Pteridaceae is a family of ferns in the order Polypodiales, including some 1150 known species in ca 45 genera. Pteridium aquilinum (L.) Kuhn is one of the most widely distributed ferns in the world which has been widely used as a food and medicine in China and Korea. Previous studies indicate that P. aquilinum contains a variety of bioactive chemical components such as flavonoids, phenols, terpenoids, saponins, polysaccharides, and so on. P. aquilinum is enriched with bioactive ingredients and has many health benefits, such as immunomodulatory, anti-carcinogenic, anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory, and anti-oxidative properties.