Development and validation of a QuEChERS method coupled to liquid chromatography and high resolution mass spectrometry to determine pyrrolizidine and tropane alkaloids in honey

- EFSA released scientific opinions on PAs and TAs in food stressing gaps of knowledge.
- Few publications about TAs in food exist, nothing about their detection in honey.
- HRMS method for simultaneous detection of PAs and TAs in honey was developed.
- The method was validated and applied to market honey samples.
- The method allows retrospective analysis of additional analytes in the samples.

Awareness about pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) and tropane alkaloids (TAs) in food was recently raised by the European Food Safety Authority stressing the lack of data and gaps of knowledge required to improve the risk assessment strategy. The present study aimed at the elaboration and validation of a method to determine PAs and TAs in honey. QuEChERS sample treatment and liquid chromatography coupled to hybrid high resolution mass spectrometry, were used. The method resulted in good linearity (R2 > 0.99) and low limits of detection and quantification, ranging from 0.04 to 0.2 µg kg−1 and from 0.1 to 0.7 µg kg−1 respectively. Recoveries ranged from 92.3 to 114.8% with repeatability lying between 0.9 and 15.1% and reproducibility between 1.1 and 15.6%. These performances demonstrate the selectivity and sensitivity of the method for simultaneous trace detection and quantification of PAs and TAs in honey, verified through the analysis of forty commercial samples.