title: [Determination of five pyrrolizidine alkaloids in honey by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry].
abstract: A liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method was developed for the determination of five pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) (monocrotaline, senkirkine, retrorsine, seneciphylline and senecionine) in honey. The honey samples were dissolved in 0.1 mol/L hydrochloric acid solution and a strong-cation exchange column was used to purify and concentrate the target analytes. The separation of the analytes was carried out on a Phenomenex C18 column (100 mm x 4.6 mm, 2.6 microm) using the mobile phases of acetonitrile and 5 mmol/L ammonium acetate-0.1% (volume percentage) formic acid aqueous solution with gradient elution. The separated compounds were detected in multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode via positive electrospray ionization (ESI+). The calibration curves were of good linearity in the range of 1-100 microg/L (r > 0.99). The limit of quantification of the method was 1.0 microg/kg. The average recoveries were between 73.1% to 107.1% at three spiked levels (1, 20 and 50 microg/kg) with the relative standard deviations (RSDs) in the range of 4.1% to 17.0%. The proposed method was applied to different kinds of honey from China, New Zealand, Spain and Australia. The samples included rape, vitex, sunflower, cotton, tilia tree, date, acacia, buckwheat, manuka and eucalyptus honey. Monocrotaline, senkirkine and retrorsine were not detected in the collected honey samples. However, seneciphylline and senecionine were found in most of the honey samples. The concentrations of seneciphylline and senecionine were 11.0 -31.1 microg/kg and 8.3-29.1 microg/kg, respectively.
authors.affiliation: College of Sciences, Nanjing University of Technology, Nanjing 211816, China.
authors.forename: Chen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lü
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Food, Jiangsu Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau, Nanjing 210001, China.
authors.forename: Tao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ding
authors.affiliation: Ningxia Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau, Yinchuan 750001, China.
authors.forename: Xin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.affiliation: College of Sciences, Nanjing University of Technology, Nanjing 211816, China.
authors.forename: Guosong
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Food, Jiangsu Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau, Nanjing 210001, China.
authors.forename: Fang
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Yuan
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Food, Jiangsu Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau, Nanjing 210001, China.
authors.forename: Bin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Food, Jiangsu Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau, Nanjing 210001, China.
authors.forename: Chongyu
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Food, Jiangsu Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau, Nanjing 210001, China.
authors.forename: Rui
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Food, Jiangsu Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau, Nanjing 210001, China.
authors.forename: Xiaoqing
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Fei
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Food, Jiangsu Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau, Nanjing 210001, China.
authors.forename: Xiaoyan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Food, Jiangsu Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau, Nanjing 210001, China.
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Biological Engineering, Guilin University of Technology, Guilin 541004, China.
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D002853:Chromatography, Liquid; D006722:Honey / Q000032:analysis*; D011763:Pyrrolizidine Alkaloids / Q000032:analysis*; D053719:Tandem Mass Spectrometry
chemical_list: D011763:Pyrrolizidine Alkaloids