<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">

<sec id="j_jvetres-2022-0032_s_005">
<h3>Introduction</h3>
<p>Pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) and tropane alkaloids (TAs) are natural contaminants of honey and respectively hepatoxic and neurotoxic compounds. Because honey is a popular constituent of the human diet, it is relevant to warrant the safety of the product. For that reason, a method for simultaneous determination of PAs and TAs in honey based on liquid chromatography– mass spectrometry was developed.</p></sec>
<sec id="j_jvetres-2022-0032_s_006">
<h3>Material and Methods</h3>
<p>The analytical protocol used sulphuric acid extraction and solid-phase extraction purification. The developed procedure was subjected to validation in terms of linearity, selectivity, repeatability, reproducibility, limits of quantification and determination, matrix effect and uncertainty. A total of 29 honey samples were analysed for the determination of PAs and TAs.</p></sec>
<sec id="j_jvetres-2022-0032_s_007">
<h3>Results</h3>
<p>All the evaluated validation parameters fulfilled the requirements of European Commission Decision 2002/657/EC. At least one of the monitored alkaloids was determined in 52% of the samples. Among the most abundant alkaloids were echimidine, intermedine and lycopsamine. The total PA concentrations ranged from 2.2 to 147.0 μg kg<sup>−1</sup>. Contrastingly, none of the monitored TAs was detected in the analysed samples. An assessment of the dietary exposure to PAs from the consumption of the contaminated honeys showed that three of them would pose a risk to consumers, especially if they were children.</p>
</sec>
<sec id="j_jvetres-2022-0032_s_008">
<h3>Conclusion</h3>
<p>A sensitive method suitable for simultaneous determination of PAs and TAs in honey was developed and validated. The analysis of 29 honey samples for PAs and TAs revealed that honey destined for retail could pose a risk to consumers.</p></sec>
</abstract>

Introduction
Pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) and tropane alkaloids (TAs) are natural contaminants of honey and respectively hepatoxic and neurotoxic compounds. Because honey is a popular constituent of the human diet, it is relevant to warrant the safety of the product. For that reason, a method for simultaneous determination of PAs and TAs in honey based on liquid chromatography– mass spectrometry was developed.

Material and Methods
The analytical protocol used sulphuric acid extraction and solid-phase extraction purification. The developed procedure was subjected to validation in terms of linearity, selectivity, repeatability, reproducibility, limits of quantification and determination, matrix effect and uncertainty. A total of 29 honey samples were analysed for the determination of PAs and TAs.

Results
All the evaluated validation parameters fulfilled the requirements of European Commission Decision 2002/657/EC. At least one of the monitored alkaloids was determined in 52% of the samples. Among the most abundant alkaloids were echimidine, intermedine and lycopsamine. The total PA concentrations ranged from 2.2 to 147.0 μg kg−1. Contrastingly, none of the monitored TAs was detected in the analysed samples. An assessment of the dietary exposure to PAs from the consumption of the contaminated honeys showed that three of them would pose a risk to consumers, especially if they were children.


Conclusion
A sensitive method suitable for simultaneous determination of PAs and TAs in honey was developed and validated. The analysis of 29 honey samples for PAs and TAs revealed that honey destined for retail could pose a risk to consumers.

Simultaneous determination of pyrrolizidine and tropane alkaloids in honey by liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry

Journal of Veterinary Research

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Introduction
Pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) and tropane alkaloids (TAs) are natural contaminants of honey and respectively hepatoxic and neurotoxic compounds....

Simultaneous determination of pyrrolizidine and tropane alkaloids in honey by liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry

Published Online: Jul 05, 2022

Page range: 235 - 243

Received: Jan 13, 2022

Accepted: Jun 20, 2022

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/jvetres-2022-0032

Keywords
pyrrolizidine alkaloids, tropane alkaloids, honey, liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC-MS), solid-phase extraction

© 2022 E. Kowalczyk, K. Kwiatek., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Simultaneous determination of pyrrolizidine and tropane alkaloids in honey by liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry

Published Online: Jul 05, 2022

Page range: 235 - 243

Received: Jan 13, 2022

Accepted: Jun 20, 2022

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/jvetres-2022-0032

Keywordspyrrolizidine alkaloids, tropane alkaloids, honey, liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC-MS), solid-phase extraction

© 2022 E. Kowalczyk, K. Kwiatek., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Keywords
pyrrolizidine alkaloids, tropane alkaloids, honey, liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC-MS), solid-phase extraction