Mycotoxins occurrence in medicinal herbs dietary supplements and exposure assessment

The multimycotoxin analysis of aflatoxins (AFs), zearalenone (ZEA), ochratoxin A (OTA), enniatins (ENNs) and beauvericin (BEA) was performed in 85 samples of medicinal herbs dietary supplements. The samples were classified in 64 samples of one herbal ingredient and 21 mixed samples. The extraction was performed by QuEChERS method and the determination by liquid chromatography coupled to ion-trap tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS-IT). Then, the risk characterization to mycotoxins through the consumption of medicinal herbs dietary supplements was assessed. The results showed that ZEA, OTA, ENNs and BEA showed in the samples with incidences between 1 and 34%, being ENNB the most detected mycotoxin. Mycotoxins contents ranged from LOQ to 3850.5 mu g/kg while the mean of positives samples were 65.5 mu g/kg (ENNA), 82.7 mu g/kg (ENNA1), 88.7 mu g/kg (ENNB), 324.9 mu g/kg (ENNB1), 137.9 mu g/kg (BEA) and 1340.11 mu g/kg (ZEA), respectively. OTA was detected in one herbal mix tablet for insomnia at concentration of 799 mu g/kg. In herbal drugs the European Pharmacopoeia Commission has implemented limits of 2 mu g/kg for AFB1 and 4 mu g/kg for total AFs. In the present study AFs have not been detected in the analyzed medicinal herbs dietary supplements. The Estimated Daily Intakes (EDIs) values were calculated using a deterministic method, considering two exposure scenarios (lower bound (LB) and upper bound (UB)). The values obtained were in general far below the Tolerable Daily Intakes (TDIs) established.

Automated summary

A multi-mycotoxin analysis was conducted on 85 samples of medicinal herbs dietary supplements, showing ZEA, OTA, ENNs and BEA as the most commonly detected toxins with a wide range of concentrations. No AFs were detected in the analyzed herbs, while OTA was found in one mixed tablet. The European Pharmacopoeia Commission has established limits for AFs in herbal drugs.