A study by the Institute for Environmental Solutions, “Transfer of pyrrolizidine alkaloids from weeds to soil and medicinal plants”, in previous stages investigated the transfer of pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PA) from weeds synthesizing these toxins to crops, as medicinal and aromatic plants.
At this stage of the study, attention is paid to the viper’s bugloss (Echium vulgare), which is a widely available nectar plant in Latvia, popular among beekeepers due to the high honey yield. But this plant is poisonous, all parts of the plant contain pyrrolizidine alkaloids. Previously, studies in other countries have extensively shown the high concentration of PA in the biomass of the viper’s bugloss, which it synthesizes, as well as found the presence of toxins both in its flowers, pollen, and in the final product – honey.
This shows certain contradictions in the choice of agricultural plants when controlling and limiting the contamination of medicinal and aromatic plants with toxic PA, while at the same time encouraging the cultivation of such toxic plants for beekeeping needs.
General recommendations for reducing food contamination with PA are the promotion of good agricultural and harvesting practices. The cultivation of crops containing PA also contributes to soil contamination. This creates additional risks for both the ecosystem and the food sector as a whole. The question of agricultural plant strategies is exacerbated if the selection of toxic plants for the production of agricultural products is encouraged, when the contamination of medicinal and aromatic plants with these same toxins is strongly restricted.
Biomass analysis of the viper’s bugloss biomass carried out by the Analytical Chemistry Laboratory of the Institute of Environmental Solutions show concentrations of PA up to a thousand times higher than those established by European Commission Regulation (EU) 2023/915. In addition the soil in which it has been grown, shows high content of contamination with PA.
Such results clearly indicate the need for an in-depth study of this issue, as well as new regulatory solutions to limit the risks of contamination of agricultural and food production systems.
The research is carried out within the project “Transfer of pyrrolizidine alkaloids from weeds to soil and medicinal plants (No lzp-2022/1-0543)”. The project is funded by the Fundamental and Applied Research Programme of the Latvian Council of Science
More information on the project HERE.
