IES research addresses key industry challenge: Pyrrolizidine Alkaloid migration in soil
At the 73rd International Congress and Annual Meeting of the Society for Medicinal Plant and Natural Product Research (GA) in Naples, IES leading researcher, Dr. Chem. Ilva Nakurte, presented groundbreaking research on a pressing industry issue: the migration of Pyrrolizidine Alkaloids (PAs) in soil.
The study, titled “From Plant to Soil: Investigating Pyrrolizidine Alkaloid Fate Using Extracts of Myosotis Arvensis and Senecio Vulgaris”, provides crucial insights into a problem that is highly relevant to the medicinal plant and natural products sector globally.
The GA congress, a key meeting point for industry experts, gathered over 700 scientists, industry representatives, and natural raw material producers from more than 60 countries to focus on the latest research in medicinal plants, natural products, plant chemistry, quality control, and sustainable sourcing.
The Significance of IES’s Contribution
The IES research is one of the few works to approach the PA problem in such detail, making a substantial contribution to the direction of international science. The topic generated significant interest at the congress, confirming that the challenge of PA contamination is a concern for the entire industry, not just growers and processors in specific regions.
Dr. Chem. Ilva Nakurte emphasized how the GA congress highlighted the significance of the PA issue:
“Participation in the GA congress in Naples reaffirmed for me how current and multifaceted the Pyrrolizidine Alkaloid (PA) topic is across the entire chain of medicinal plants and natural products—from the field to the finished product. Presenting our research on PA movement in soil, I felt immense interest during the Q&A session and in informal discussions. Colleagues from various countries shared experiences on PA monitoring, quality control challenges, and regulatory application. I also received recognition for the courage to speak about the ‘unpleasant’—the contamination risks and what they mean for medicinal plant growers and the industry as a whole. This discussion showed that our contribution to understanding PA behavior in soil helps to better comprehend contamination risks and develop scientifically justified approaches to mitigate them across the industry.”
Understanding the PA Problem
What are PAs and Why Should They Be Avoided?
Medicinal plants are powerful, rich in compounds, bioactive substances, vitamins, and minerals. However, nature also contains substances that require caution: Pyrrolizidine Alkaloids. These are natural plant toxins produced by certain weeds, such as Field Forget-me-not (Myosotis Arvensis) and Common Groundsel (Senecio Vulgaris), to defend against insect attacks.
The Danger of Contamination
The danger arises when these poisonous substances contaminate food products like herbal teas, spices, honey, or even food supplements. Even a low concentration of PAs, if consumed regularly, can accumulate in the body and potentially cause liver damage. This is why PA contamination in food products is strictly regulated by European Commission Regulation 2023/915, which completely bans their presence in infant food.
Key research findings: the fate of PAs in soil
The IES research team reveals that PAs threaten not only food safety but also the environment. The study publication provides critical insight into PA movement in agricultural soil.
The scientists discovered that the mobility and persistence of PAs in the soil are directly dependent on the toxin source (the specific plant species), its chemical structure, and the soil type into which they leach. For example, some PA forms derived from Field Forget-me-not are highly soluble, posing a high risk of leaching and groundwater contamination.
The IES continues its commitment to providing the scientific foundation necessary to mitigate contamination risks throughout the medicinal plant industry.
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.
