Fatal pyrrolizidine alkaloid poisoning of infants caused by adulterated Senecio coronatus

Senecio coronatus (known as izonkozonko and ubulibazi in Zulu) is commonly used in traditional medicine in South Africa as purification purgative and enemas for infants during weaning. We show for the first time that this species does not contain pyrrolizidine alkaloids and that reported cases of fatal hepatic sinusoidal obstruction syndrome in infants were caused by wrongly identified Senecio species containing large amounts of retrorsine-N-oxide. A validated ultra performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) method for the detection and quantitation of pyrrolizidine alkaloids is described. (c) 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

Senecio coronatus, commonly used in traditional medicine in South Africa, does not contain pyrrolizidine alkaloids. Fatal cases of hepatic sinusoidal obstruction syndrome in infants were caused by wrongly identified Senecio species containing large amounts of retrorsine-N-oxide. A validated UPLC-MS/MS method for detecting and quantifying pyrrolizidine alkaloids is described.