title: Uptake and Accumulation of Nephrotoxic and Carcinogenic Aristolochic Acids in Food Crops Grown in Aristolochia clematitis-Contaminated Soil and Water.
abstract: Emerging evidence has suggested aristolochic acids (AAs) are linked to the development of Balkan endemic nephropathy (BEN), a chronic renal disease affecting numerous farmers living in the Balkan peninsula. However, the pathway by which AAs enter the human food chain and cause kidney disease remains poorly understood. Using our previously developed analytical method with high sensitivity and selectivity (Chan, W.; Lee, K. C.; Liu, N.; Cai, Z. J. Chromatogr. A 2007, 1164, 113-119), we quantified AAs in lettuce, tomato, and spring onion grown in AA-contaminated soil and culture medium. Our study revealed that AAs were being taken up from the soil and bioaccumulated in food crops in a time- and dose-dependent manner. To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first to identify one of the possible pathways by which AAs enter our food chain to cause chronic food poisoning. Results also demonstrated that AAs were resistant to the microbial activity of the soil/water.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology , Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China.
authors.forename: Weiwei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology , Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China.
authors.forename: Qin
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology , Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China.
authors.forename: Wan
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Chan
mesh_terms: D030022:Aristolochia / Q000737:chemistry / Q000633:toxicity*; D034341:Aristolochic Acids / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity*; D001449:Balkan Nephropathy / Q000209:etiology* / Q000378:metabolism; D002273:Carcinogens / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000633:toxicity; D018556:Crops, Agricultural / Q000737:chemistry / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000633:toxicity; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000633:toxicity
chemical_list: D034341:Aristolochic Acids; D002273:Carcinogens; D012989:Soil Pollutants; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical
keywords: Balkan endemic nephropathy; aristolochic acids; high-performance liquid chromatography; lettuce; uptake