Determination of Pyrrolizidine Alkaloids in Plants, Pollen, and Honey by LC-ESI-MS/MS
摘要
This chapter presents a diluted-and-shot sample preparation approach for honey and solid-liquid extraction for pollen and bee plant samples to analyze 1,2-unsaturated pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) by LC-ESI-MS/MS. The PAs have the potential to induce both acute and chronic hepatotoxicity. Contamination can arise directly by consuming teas, spices, and natural products, or indirectly, through the ingestion of pollen and honey, for instance. The European Commission Regulation has recently established maximum concentration levels for PAs in specific foods. These levels vary from 1.0 to 1000 μg kg−1, with a maximum limit of 500 μg/kg set for pollen, and no specific limits defined for honey.