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Monitoring of pyrrolizidine alkaloids in beehive products and derivatives on the Belgian market

  • Environmental Pollution, Food Contamination, Risk Assessment and Remediation
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Abstract

Pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) and related N-oxides (PANOs) are secondary plant metabolites thought to be found in approximately 3% of the flowering plants worldwide and exhibiting hepatotoxic properties to humans. As a consequence, beehive products are prone to be contaminated with those compounds by bees foraging PA-producing plants. Downstream contamination can also occur through food items containing honey. Analytical methods based on UHPLC separation and MS/MS detection were developed with a focus on very low LOQs and validated for the analysis of 16 PAs and 14 PANOs in honey, honey-based candies and snacks, as well as beehive product–based food supplements. A maximum level of 182 ng/g of PAs was detected in a Mediterranean honey, and high levels of heliotrine-type compounds were reported for the first time. An extensive sampling of honeys harvested in Belgium was performed (N = 374), the concentration levels were more limited with a maximum of 60 ng/g, and the contamination pattern was dominated by senecionine-type PAs. The PA levels in honey-based candies and snacks were very low, with respective maxima of 7.61 ng/g and 0.36 ng/g. Seventy-five percent among the pre-dosed food supplements based on beehive products were contaminated, with a maximum of 43 ng/g. The highest level was detected in a bee-collected pollen sample (1672 ng/g). The analytical results were consistent with the previously reported data for beehive products and confirmed that PA/PANO contamination in these food commodities is recurrent.

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Notes

  1. Analytical standard of echimidine N-oxide was lacking at the time of validation for the honey method, and this compound has not been targeted in most of the honey samples.

  2. Erucifoline N-oxide exhibited a higher recovery value at the low level (127%).

  3. Seneciphylline N-oxide exhibits a higher CVr value at the low level (43.83%).

  4. Seneciphylline N-oxide exhibits the higher MU at low level, but 27 among the 30 compounds show MU values below 40%.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank CARI asbl (Centre Apicole de Recherche et d’Information) and particularly Mr. Etienne Bruneau for providing the complimentary Walloon honey samples and for the pollen analyses.

Funding

This research was funded by the Belgian Federal Public Service of Health, Food Chain Safety and Environment through the contract RT 14/10 PASFOOD.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Organic Contaminants and Additives, Sciensano, Rue Juliette Wytsman 14, 1050, Brussels, Belgium

    Jean-François Picron, Mélanie Herman, Els Van Hoeck & Séverine Goscinny

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  1. Jean-François Picron
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  2. Mélanie Herman
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  3. Els Van Hoeck
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  4. Séverine Goscinny
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Correspondence to Jean-François Picron.

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Picron, JF., Herman, M., Van Hoeck, E. et al. Monitoring of pyrrolizidine alkaloids in beehive products and derivatives on the Belgian market. Environ Sci Pollut Res 27, 5693–5708 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-019-04499-2

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