Importance of Pyrrolizidine Alkaloids in Bee Products

Abstract

Pyrrolizidine alkaloids are one of the groups of harmful chemicals of plants, which are natural toxins. Pyrrolizidine alkaloids found in about 3% of all flowering plants of widespread geographical distribution are known as one of the components of the hepatotoxic group of plant origin and referred as hepatotoxic pyrrolizidine alkaloids. According to researches, bee products is regarded as one of the main food sources in the exposure of people to pyrrolizidine alkaloids. Consumption of pyrrolizidine alkaloids containing bee products, such as honey, pollen, propolis and royal jelly, is a potential threat to human health, especially for infant and fetuses. Besides the acute toxic effects, the genotoxic effects and tumorigenicity potential of pyrrolizidine alkaloids was demonstrated. This manuscript gives an overview about bee products containing pyrrolizidine alkaloids and toxification processes in humans.

Keywords

• Pyrrolizidine alkaloids,honey,pollen,bee products

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