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Updated: Aug 6, 2025
Source and Route of Pyrrolizidine Alkaloid Contamination in Tea Samples
Published on: September 28, 2022
Pyrrolizidine alkaloids in borage (Borago officinalis): Comprehensive profiling and development of a validated
Melinda Sattler1, Volker Müller1, Diana Bunzel1
1Department of Safety and Quality of Fruit and Vegetables, Max Rubner-Institut, Federal Research Institute of Nutrition and Food, Haid-und-Neu-Straße 9, 76131, Karlsruhe, Germany.
Abstract:
Pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PA) from borage (Borago officinalis) consumed as herb and tea, may pose a food safety risk. Therefore, the European Union (EU) set maximum levels of PA in borage, among other foodstuffs, which are applicable since July 1st, 2022. Here, a comprehensive LC-MS/MS based profiling of PA and their N-oxides (PANO) in B. officinalis leaves is presented. Based on these results a targeted, quantitative LC-MS/MS method for the determination of individual PA/PANO present in borage was developed. Chromatographic separation was achieved for all PA/PANO detected in B. officinalis. An easy and fast extraction procedure was developed using a design of experiments approach (DOE). The most efficient extraction was achieved using 0.2% formic acid in 10% methanol at a temperature of 47.5 °C for 60 min. The final method was validated and showed good overall accuracy (recoveries 85-121%) and precision (RDS ≤11%). The method was applied to B. officinalis leave material, demonstrating its suitability for the intended purpose. In these borage samples, the acetylated forms, which are not regulated by EU, were among the quantitatively most relevant PA.
