Tropane Alkaloids

Food and Feed in the Spotlight

Tropane alkaloids (TA) are secondary Occurrence in Plants metabolites with more than 200 different substances identified in various plants. Tropane alkaloids are secondary meta- bolites which naturally occur in plants of When growing in direct vicinity of crops, seven angiosperm families: tropane alkaloid containing plants are potential contaminants of various food • Brassicaceae (the mustard family) and feeding stuffs. The risk of contamina- • Solanaceae (the nightshade or potato tion usually increases if seeds of the family) alkaloid containing plant resemble those of the cultivated plant – as it is the case • Erythroxylaceae (the coca family) for datura and buckwheat. With respect • Convolvulaceae (the bindweed or to their occurrence in food, the TAs morning glory family) investigated in greatest depth are (-)-hyoscyamine and (-)-scopolamine. • Euphorbiaceae (the spurge family) As stated in a recent EFSA Opinion, the • Proteaceae analysis of tropane alkaloids may be • Rhizophoraceae (the mangrove family) relevant in cereals and cereal-based baby food, buckwheat, oilseeds, sun- Especially Brassicaceae and Solanaceae flower or soybean products and herbal are known for their many grown edible tea. species, while the families Erythroxy- laceae and Rhizophoraceae do not con- tain any important food species. Generally, the TAs can be found in all parts of the plants and are responsible for the toxic effects of some of these plants.

Occurrence in Food & Feed Regulatory Provisions

Contamination of food or feed with parts (mostly In June 2015, the EU Commission published a seeds) of certain TA containing plant species Recommendation (2015/976) to monitor the may occur. Primarily reported are botanical presence of tropane alkaloids in cereal (pro- impurities of seeds of Datura stramonium ducts), gluten-free products, nutritional supple- (Jimson weed or thorn apple) and other Datura ments, (herbal) teas, legume vegetables, spp. as well as berries of Atropa belladonna pulses, oilseeds and derived products. (deadly nightshade) and Hyoscyamus niger In March 2016, Commission Regulation (henbane). 2016/239 amending Commission Regulation Cereals and cereal-based infant food, pseudo- 1881/2006 came into force laying down maxi- cereals such as buckwheat and millet, oilseeds mum limits of 1.0 µg/kg for each atropine and such as linseed, sunflower or soybean products scopolamine in processed cereal-based foods and herbal tea may be amongst the product and baby foods for infants and young children, groups of concern. containing millet, sorghum, buckwheat or their derived products. Substances & Toxicology Analysis Although more than 200 different TAs have been identified in various plants so far, respec- Our experts from the Competence Centre for tive data on their toxicity is limited. Most studied Mycotoxins & Biotoxins offer the analysis of the TAs are (-)-hyoscyamine and (-)-scopolamine. most important tropane alkaloids atropine (sum In contrast to their (+)-enantiomers, these two of (+)- and (-)-hyoscyamine) and scopolamine are formed naturally. The racemic mixture of in all relevant food and feed matrices via (-)-hyoscyamine and (+)-hyoscyamine is called LC-MS/MS. Requirements regarding the limit of atropine. quantification given in the EU documents are fulfilled. In addition to atropine and scopola- With its Scientific Opinion published in 2013, the mine, Eurofins offers now the analysis of aniso- European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) esta- damine, norscopolamine and convolvine in tea blished a group ARfD (Acute Reference Dose) and herbal tea. of 0.016 µg/kg bodyweight for the sum of (-)-hyoscyamine and (-)-scopolamine. The EFSA concluded that there is a possible health concern for toddlers who consume cereal based food for infants and young children.

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Eurofins Food & Feed Testing Germany [email protected] – www.eurofins.de

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