Analysis of pyrrolizidine alkaloids
Analysis of pyrrolizidine alkaloids
Pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PA) are a group of substances based on the basic structure pyrrolizidine. These include (approx. 650) secondary metabolites that are formed by a large number of plant species occurring worldwide to protect them from predators. They are therefore naturally widespread. Some PAs are toxic and can damage the liver. It has also been shown that PAs can alter the genetic material in cells and trigger the development of cancer cells.
Occurrence in plants
PAs play a potential role in tea and tea products in particular. They usually enter the product via the harvest of PA-containing weeds that grow next to or between the crops. PA-containing weeds are, for example, common ragwort and ragwort. Even individual plants can significantly contaminate a harvest batch. Ragwort (Senecio jacobaea L.), for example, is a problem in chamomile cultivation.
Legal limit values
Since 1 July 2022, the EU Contaminants Regulation (2023/915) has set maximum levels for PA in tea and herbs, among other things. Much stricter limits apply to products for infants and young children.
Product category | Legal limit [µg/kg] |
Tea and flavoured tea | 150 |
Herbal teas and ingredients used for herbal teas | 200 |
Herbal teas and ingredients of rooibos, aniseed, lemon balm, camomile, thyme, peppermint, lemon verbena and mixtures thereof used for herbal teas | 400 |
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Tea, flavoured tea and herbal teas and ingredients used in herbal teas for infants and young children | 75 |
Liquid products made from tea, flavoured tea and herbal teas for infants and young children | 1 |
Special feature of PA analysis
An analysis of 21 individual substances is carried out, which are then totalled to check the legal limit value. The sum is calculated according to the ‘lower-bound’ approach, assuming that all values are below the limit of quantification at ‘0’.
Due to the high similarity of the individual PAs, it is sometimes not possible to separate them adequately, even when using state-of-the-art analytical methods and MS/MS detection.
This is also described accordingly in the published methods. Therefore, the legal maximum levels refer to 14 additional pyrrolizidine alkaloids in addition to the 21 individual substances. In the test report, these 14 additional PAs are only reported in total with the 21 individual substances.
# | PA (BOLD=Individual substances, Grey = other PA) |
1/2 | Sum of Intermedin/Lycopsamin / Indicin / Echinatin / Rinderin |
3/4 | Sum of Senecionin/Senecivernin / Intergerrimin |
5 | Sum of Seneciphyllin / Spartiodin |
6 | Sum of Retrosin / Usaramin |
7 | Echimidin |
8 | Lasiocarpin |
9 | Europin |
10 | Heliotrin |
11 | Senkirkin |
12/13 | Sum of Intermedin-N-oxid/ Lycopsamin-N-Oxid / Indicin-N-Oxid / Echinatin-N-Oxid / Rinderin-N-Oxid |
14/15 | Sum of Senecionin-N-Oxid/ Senecivernin-N-Oxid / Intergerrimin-N-Oxid |
16 | Sum of Seneciphyllin-N-Oxid / Spartiodin-N-Oxid |
17 | Sum of Retrosin-N-Oxid / Usaramin-N-Oxid |
18 | Echimidin-N-Oxid |
19 | Lasiocarpin-N-Oxid |
20 | Europin-N-Oxid |
21 | Heliotrin-N-Oxid |
Analysis of pyrrolizidine alkaloids
CR3-Analytik offers the sensitive analysis of all legally regulated pyrrolizidine alkaloids by LC-MS/MS. Our customised analysis method enables the complex summation of the 21 + 14 pyrrolizidine alkaloids or N-oxides in accordance with the requirements of Regulation (EU) 2023/915.
If required, we can carry out an evaluation of the analysis results.
If you have any questions regarding the analysis of pyrrolizidine alkaloids, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Relevant regulations
[1] Commission Regulation (EU) 2023/915 (Contaminants Regulation)
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More information
Mr. Dirk Westermann
+49 421 64905 1800
customerservice@cr3-analytik.com -