Pyrrolizidine alkaloids in herbal teas for infants, pregnant or lactating women

• Published in: Food chemistry Vol. 187; pp. 491 - 498
• Main Authors: Mädge, Inga, Cramer, Luise, Rahaus, Ines, Jerz, Gerold, Winterhalter, Peter, Beuerle, Till
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 15.11.2015
• Subjects: Adult; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid - methods; Female; Food Contamination - analysis; Herbal tea; HPLC–ESI-MS/MS; Humans; Infant; Infants; Insecticides - chemistry; Lactation; Male; Molecular Structure; Pregnancy; Pregnant and lactating women; Pyrrolizidine alkaloids; Pyrrolizidine Alkaloids - chemistry; Stable isotope labeled standard; Tandem Mass Spectrometry - methods; Teas, Herbal - analysis; HPLC–ESI-MS/MS; Herbal tea; Infants; Pregnant and lactating women; Stable isotope labeled standard; Pyrrolizidine alkaloids
• ISSN: 0308-8146; 1873-7072
• DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2015.04.067

•Herbal teas for babies and pregnant women were analyzed for pyrrolizidine alkaloids.•A modified HPLC–ESI-MS/MS PA sum parameter was established.•38 out of 44 teas were analyzed PA positive (86%).•PA content ranged from 0 to 391μg retronecine equivalents/kg product.•Discussion of the results in the view of the current situation of PA in food. A general contamination of tea with pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PA) has just become known. Here, we report the application and modification of a new HPLC–ESI-MS/MS sum parameter method to quantitate PA content of herbal teas intended for infants, pregnant and lactating women. Using p-toluenesulfonyl isocyanate for derivatization and a stable isotope labeled internal standard, the total retronecine-/heliotridine-type PA content of the samples is expressed in form of a single sum parameter (retronecine equivalents: RE). The new methods were applied to analyze 44 tea samples for such consumer groups. Thirty eight products (86%) were tested PA positive showing PA concentrations ranging from 0 to 391μg RE/kg (average: 50μg RE/kg). The dataset is discussed in the view of the current discussion on PA in the food chain with special focus on those particular vulnerable consumer groups.