Journal
ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
Volume 267, Issue -, Pages -Publisher
ELSEVIER SCI LTD
DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2020.115542
Keywords
Food safety; Chinese honey; Pyrrolizidine alkaloids; LC-MS analysis; Risk assessment
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Funding
- Research Grants Council of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (GRF Project) [14110714]
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Pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) are common phytotoxins. We performed the first comprehensive investigation on PA contamination in Chinese honeys. LC-MS analysis revealed that 58% of 255 honey samples purchased from 17 regions across Mainland China and Taiwan contained PAs with total content ranging over 0.2-281.1 mg/kg. Monocrotaline (from Crotalaria spp), a PA never found in honey in other regions, together with echimidine (Echium plantagineum) and lycopsamine (from Senecio spp.), were three predominant PAs in PA-contaminated Chinese honeys. Further, PAs present in honeys were found to have geographically distinct pattern, indicating possible control of such contamination in future honey production. Moreover, we proposed a new risk estimation approach, which considered both content and toxic potency of individual PAs in honeys, and found that 12% of the PA-contaminated Chinese honeys tested might pose potential health risk. This study revealed a high prevalence and potential health risk of PA contamination in Chinese honeys. (c) 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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