Analysis of Pyrrolizidine Alkaloids in Stingless Bee Honey and Identification of a Botanical Source as Ageratum conyzoides.

ABSTRACT: Stingless bee honeys (SBHs) from Australian and Malaysian species were analysed using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS) for the presence of pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) and the corresponding N-oxides (PANOs) due to the potential for such hepatotoxic alkaloids to contaminate honey as a result of bees foraging on plants containing these alkaloids. Low levels of alkaloids were found in these SBHs when assessed against certified PA standards in targeted analysis. However, certain isomers were identified using untargeted analysis in a subset of honeys of Heterotrigona itama which resulted in the identification of a PA weed species (Ageratum conyzoides) near the hives. The evaluation of this weed provided a PA profile matchi

SUBMITTER: Hungerford NL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10819179 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature