Pyrrolizidine alkaloids honey

Deinzer, M. L., Thompson, P. A., Burgett, D. M. and Isaacson, D. L. 1977. Pyrrolizidine alkaloids Their occurrence in honey from tansy ragwort (S. jacobaea). Science, 195 497 99. 

The presence of toxic pyrrolizidine alkaloids in honey has been known for several decades [42]. The potential health concerns associated with pyrrolizidine alkaloids in food [27] and honey [28] in particular demand a rapid, sensitive method of detection in various matrices. The application of LC-MS methods to honey samples extracted using sex SPE cartridges has facilitated the analysis of honey for the presence of pyrrolizidine alkaloids and their N-oxides [34,41]. The SPE and LC-MS analysis has shown that honey attributed to known pyrrolizidine alkaloid-producing sources can have levels in excess of 5000 jrg/kg honey. Further to this, honey attributed to non-pyrrolizidine alkaloid-producing floral sources and unspecified blended honeys can also have significant amounts of alkaloids present. 

Tab. 13.1 Quantities of pyrrolizidine alkaloids and their N-oxides extracted from E. vulgare-derived honey.

The total pyrroUzidine alkaloid content was 2850 143 xg/kg honey (ppb) expressed as equivalents oflasiocarpine-N-oxide forthe N-oxides present and equivalents of lasiocarpine for the tertiary base pyrrolizidine alkaloids present. The assignment of the minor alkaloids leptanthine-N-oxide and echimiplatine-N-oxide may be reversed... 

Many species of Senecio, such as Senecio jacobaea (ragwort) and Senecio longilobus (thread leaf groundsel), contain hepatotoxic amounts of pyrrolizidine alkaloids (which are covered in a separate monograph). Honey made from Senecio plants also contains pjrrolizidine alkaloids (32). 

Edgar, J., Roeder, E., and Molyneux, RJ. 2002. Honey from plants containing pyrrolizidine alkaloids A potential threat to health. J. Agric. Food Chem. 50, 2719-2730. 

Pyrrolizidine alkaloids also occur in honey made from Senecio jacobaea (tansy ragwort) and in milk of cattle that feed on this plant. 

Other foods can also be contaminated with PAs and are, therefore, a potential hazard for humans. Milk was shown to be a source for a PA intoxication in a case where the milk-producing animals had access to PA containing feed (hay, silage) [22-30]. Human milk from women exposed to pyrrolizidine alkaloids has caused veno-occlusive disease in neonates and infants [31]. Honey has become of increased importance as it could be shown that, in commercial products, levels of PAs were found which exceeded tolerable values. Here, pollen seems to be the pathway of contamination [31-37]. 

Deinzer ML, Thomson PA, Bingett DM, Isaacstm DL (1977) Pyrrolizidine alkaloids their occurrence in honey from tansy ragwort (Senecio jacobaea L.). Science 195 497-499... 

Culvenor CCJ, Edgar JA, Smith LW (1981) Pyrrolizidine alkaloids in honey from Echium plantagineum L. J Agric Food Chem 29 958-960... 

Beales KA, Betteridge K, Colegate SM, Edgar JA (2004) Solid phase extraction and LCMS analysis of pyrrolizidine alkaloids in honeys. J Agric Food Chem 52 6664-6672... 

Pyrrolizidine alkaloids poison animals grazing on toxic wild plants and those fed contaminated feed, causing economic losses. They poison humans through deliberate consumption of certain foods and herbal medicines and through consumption of food contaminated by wild plants, such as via transport of the toxins by bees into honey. Analytical methods are required for different purposes - to detect the presence of pyrrolizidine alkaloids, to quantify the total level of the toxins, or to measure the quantity of individual compounds. The task is made more challenging by the variety of PAs, their widespread nature and their different forms. Analytical methods are based on color reactions, enzyme linked immunosorbent assays (ELlSAs), spectroscopy, and the full range of chromatographic techniques. A lack of reference standards and... 

Comfrey Echium gas chromatography honey feed immunoassay liquid chromatography mass spectrometry pyrrolizidine alkaloids ragwort Senecio solid phase extraction... 

Kempf M, Wittig M, Reinhard A, von der Ohe K, Blacquiere T, Raezke K-P, Michel R, Schreier P, Beuerle T (2011) Pyrrolizidine alkaloids in honey comparison of analytical methods. Food Addit Contam A 28 332-347... 

Betteridge K, Cao Y, Colegate SM (2005) Improved method for extraction and LC-MS analysis of pyrrolizidine alkaloids and their V-oxides in honey application to Echiwn vulgare honeys. J Agric Food Chem 53 1894-1902... 

Kempf M, Beuerle T, Biihringer M, Denner M, Trost D, von der Ohe K, Bhavanam VBR, Schreier P (2008) Pyrrolizidine alkaloids in honey risk analysis hy gas chromatography—mass spectrometry. Mol Nutr Food Res 52 1193-1200... 

Bohlen M, Kast C, Diibecke A, Zoller O (2011) Sum-analytical determination of pyrrolizidine alkaloids in Swiss honey by GC-MS. In 5th International symposium on recent advances in food analysis, 1-4 Nov 2011, Prague. Available http //www.rafa2011.eu xlf/boa2011.pdf. Accessed 8 Nov 2012... 

Deinzer, M. L., P. A. Thomson, D. M. Burgett, and D. L. Isaacson Pyrrolizidine Alkaloids Their Occurrence in Honey from Tansy Ragwort (Senecio jacobaea L.). Science 195, 497 (1977). 

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