A sensitive UHPLC-ESI-MS/MS method for the determination of tropane alkaloids in herbal teas and extracts

Abstract A sensitive UHPLC-ESI-MS/MS method, coupled with a suitable extraction protocol, was developed and validated for the rapid detection of four tropane alkaloids (anisodamine, atropine, homatropine, scopolamine) in herbal teas and herbal extracts. The method offers good sensitivity, accuracy and precision. The protocol is suitable for routine determination of tropane alkaloids in dried plants and extracts sold as food supplements or phytotherapics, and was applied to 60 commercial samples. Anisodamine, atropine and/or scopolamine were found in 4 herbal teas samples (LOQ–69 μg/kg for atropine and 50 μg/kg for scopolamine) and in a Lepidium meyenii extract sold as food supplement (traces of anisodamine). The level of contamination do not to pose a direct risk for the consumers if compared to the acute reference dose indicated by EFSA, but the detection confirms the need for suitable methods and careful screenings in order to determine a more precise evaluation of dietary intake for tropane alkaloids.

• Publication year

  2019

• Venue

  Food Control

• Publication date

  2019-11-01

• Fields of study

  Medicine, Chemistry

• Identifiers
  DOI 10.1016/J.FOODCONT.2019.05.030
• External record

  Open on Semantic Scholar

• Source metadata

  Semantic Scholar

• No claims are published for this paper.

• No concepts are published for this paper.

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