Pyrrolizidine alkaloid contamination in food: current research on levels, detection techniques, and risk assessment

Pyrrolizidine alkaloids （PAs） are a class of naturally occurring toxic compounds widely distributed in plants， primarily transmitted and bioaccumulated through the food chain. They have been detected in various food products including tea， honey， cereals， and traditional herbal medicines. The contamination levels of PAs exhibit regional and interspecies variations influenced by multiple factors， with their toxicity predominantly manifesting as hepatotoxicity and carcinogenicity. Chronic health risks may arise from prolonged exposure to these compounds. Currently well-established detection methodologies include thin-layer chromatography （TLC）， gas chromatography-mass spectrometry （GC-MS）， and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry （LC-MS）. This review aims to explore current research progress regarding contamination levels， analytical techniques， and risk assessment of PAs in food matrices. In conclusion， PAs contamination poses a latent threat to food safety and public health， necessitating intensified research into contamination mechanisms， long-term exposure risks， and advanced detection technologies to formulate more effective preventive strategies.