Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 13, 2025
Source and Route of Pyrrolizidine Alkaloid Contamination in Tea Samples
Published on: September 28, 2022
Comprehensive review of pyrrolizidine alkaloids in bee products: Occurrence, extraction, and analytical methods
Patricia Brugnerotto1, Bibiana Silva2, Luciano Valdemiro Gonzaga2
1Department of Agroindustry Science and Technology, Federal University of Pelotas, Capão do Leão, Rio Grande do Sul State, 96010-900, Brazil; Department of Food Science and Technology, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianopolis, Santa Catarina State 88034-001, Brazil.
Abstract:
Pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) and their N-oxides (PANOs) are hepatotoxic secondary metabolites present in certain plant genera, raising health concerns due to their inevitable occurrence in bee products like honey, pollen, royal jelly, and propolis. The European Commission has set a 500 μg kg-1 limit for PAs/PANOs in pollen-based supplements to ensure safety, emphasizing the need for sensitive analytical methods. This review, based on studies published between 2019 and 2024, identifies 51 compounds in bee products, including 32 PAs and 19 PANOs, with lycopsamine, senecionine, echimidine, intermedine, and retrorsine being the most studied. Solvent extraction, often combined with SPE or QuEChERS, is the most used preparation method, while liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) is preferred for detection. Few studies assessed the risk of PAs consumption. These findings support regulatory monitoring of bee product safety and highlight the need for refining detection methods and establishing standardized limits and monitoring for PAs/PANOs.
