Quantitative Analysis of β-Asarone Derivatives in Acorus calamus and Herbal Food Products by HPLC-MS/MS

alpha-Asarone and beta-asarone are reported as bioactive constituents of Acorus calamus. Phase I metabolism of asarone isomers results in a multiple spectrum of genotoxic metabolites. Thus, the question arises whether structural analogues of the known phase I metabolites also naturally occur in A. calamus-based food products. A liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method was developed and validated for three product classes, herbal infusions, alcoholic beverages, and food supplements. High asarone contents were detected in herbal infusions (total mean 9.13 mg/kg, n = 8) and food supplements (total mean 14.52 mg/kg, n = 6); hence, these food products can highly contribute to human exposure to genotoxic asarone derivatives. Also, the occurrence of asarone oxidation products found in food and food supplements has to be taken under consideration because data on toxicity is limited so far.

Automated summary

The study highlights the presence of alpha-Asarone and beta-asarone in Acorus calamus, with potential genotoxic metabolites. High levels of asarone were found in herbal infusions and food supplements, raising concerns about human exposure to genotoxic derivatives. Additionally, the presence of asarone oxidation products in food products underscores the need for further research on their toxicity.