Pyrrolizidine Alkaloids: The Botanical Origin of Pollen Collected during the Flowering Period of <i>Echium vulgare</i> and the Stability of Pyrrolizidine Alkaloids in Bee Bread

oleh: Christina Kast, Verena Kilchenmann, Hans Reinhard, Katharina Bieri, Otmar Zoller

Format: Article
Diterbitkan: MDPI AG 2019-06-01

Deskripsi

Previous studies have shown that pollen products sold as nutritional supplements and used in apitherapy may contain toxic pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) if bees collect pollen from PA-containing plants, such as <i>Echium vulgare</i>. In this study, the botanical origin of pollen from two observation sites was studied. Despite a high PA content in pollen samples that bees collected during <i>E. vulgare</i>&#8217;s flowering period, bees were found to collect relatively few <i>Echium</i> pollen loads. Thus, the monitoring of pollen loads collected at the apiaries is unviable to estimate the risk of PA contamination in pollen or bee bread. In a second step, the stability of PAs in bee bread samples containing PAs at concentrations of 2538 ng/g and 98 ng/g was assessed over a period of five or six months, respectively. No significant PA reduction was observed in bee bread stored at 15 &#176;C, but there were overall PA reductions of 39% and 33% in bee bread stored at 30 &#176;C, reflecting hive conditions. While PA <i>N</i>-oxides decreased over time, other types of PAs remained relatively stable. Monitoring PAs in pollen products remains important to ensure consumer safety and should include echivulgarine (and its <i>N</i>-oxide), the major PA type found in pollen from <i>E. vulgare</i>.