Honey from Plants Containing Pyrrolizidine Alkaloids:  A Potential Threat to Health

Abstract

Following scientific risk assessments, several countries have imposed strict regulations on herbal medicines containing 1,2-dehydro-pyrrolizidine alkaloids. Using published data on the plants used in honey production, pyrrolizidine alkaloid-containing plants are shown in this review to represent a significant source of honey worldwide. This observation, honey consumption data, reported levels of pyrrolizidine alkaloids in honeys, and consideration of tolerable exposure levels determined for pyrrolizidine alkaloids in herbal medicines, leads to the conclusion that some honey is a potential threat to health, especially for infants and fetuses, and further investigation is warranted.

Plants containing pyrrolizidine alkaloids: toxicity and problems

“…Honey was shown to be another source of PA exposure; here it seems that the contamination may be due to the plant pollen, which is rich in PAs, being transferred by bees into the honey [Deinzer, Thomson, et al, 1977;Culvenor, Edgar, et al, 1981;Roeder, 1995Roeder, , 2000Edgar, Roeder, et al, 2002;Beales, Betteridge, et al, 2004;Boppré, Colgate, et al, 2005;Betteridge, Cao, et al, 2005]. Eggs from poultry exposed to PAs in PA-contaminated grain were also shown to be a possible source of PA exposure for humans [Edgar, Smith, 1999].…”

Pyrrolizidine alkaloids in food: downstream contamination in the food chain caused by honey and pollen

“…Recent studies have demonstrated significant amounts of PAs in floral pollen of PA-plants (Boppré et al 2008;Kempf et al 2010b). Therefore, PA pollen is discussed as the only source or as major contributor to PA-contamination of honey (Edgar et al 2002;Boppré et al 2005;Kempf et al 2010a). To date, it is unknown, whether the PA-content found in honey is an artifact of the preceding sample preparation (including To address these questions we added defined amounts of floral PA pollen derived from…”

Diversity of pyrrolizidine alkaloids in native and invasive Senecio pterophorus (Asteraceae): Implications for toxicity

“…Chronic ingestion of PA-containing plants and contaminated hay, straw or silage, causes livestock poisoning (Cheeke, 1988;Wiedenfeld and Edgar, 2011). In humans, exposure to PAs contained in herbal teas, medicines, contaminated cereals, pollen and honey has been related to acute and chronic liver toxicity, such as the veno-occlusive disease, especially in children (Edgar et al, 2002;Kempf et al, 2010;Molyneux et al, 2011;Wiedenfeld and Edgar, 2011). The role of PAs as plant chemical defenses against phytophagous insects has been widely documented (Hartmann, 1999).…”