Mycotoxins and pyrrolizidine alkaloids in herbal dietary supplements

Abstract

The market demand for herbal dietary supplements is rapidly growing and such products are becoming more common and accessible to consumers. However, the knowledge about their safety remains incomplete. Herbal dietary supplements are one of the food groups that can contribute significantly to human health concerns arising from chronic exposure to pyrrolizidine alkaloids and mycotoxins. This study aimed to simultaneously determine 79 natural contaminants, including mycotoxins, as well as pyrrolizidine and tropane alkaloids in herbal dietary supplements in one analytical run. Exposure assessment and human health risks were assessed for all compounds included in this study. The total concentration of naturally occurring contaminants in herbal dietary supplements reached 5.3 mg kg^-1 and the most frequently detected mycotoxins were tentoxin and alternariol monomethyl ether. The latter was detected with the highest frequency, reaching concentrations up to 2.5 mg kg^-1. The obtained results indicate a potential risk to public health related to herbal dietary supplement consumption.

Keywords: Herbal dietary supplements; mycotoxins; pyrrolizidine alkaloids; risk assessment; tropane alkaloids.