Tropane Alkaloids in Food Commodities: Occurrence in Food and Feed
摘要
Tropane alkaloids (TAs) represent a class of secondary metabolites derived from weeds, which have the potential to contaminate vegetables and grains during the harvesting process. Over 200 distinct TAs have been identified throughout various plant parts, such as seeds, fruits, flowers, leaves, and stems. The widespread distribution contributes to frequent cross-contamination due to rapid and mechanical harvesting methods. TAs are secondary metabolites that are found naturally in various plant families. Human exposure to TAs is mainly linked to the dietary intake of certain plants from the Solanaceae family, which often contribute to the cross-contamination of agricultural products during harvesting. Due to the invasive characteristics of TA-producing crops and the distribution of TAs throughout all parts of the plant, there exists a considerable risk of unintentional contamination of edible crops during the harvesting and processing phases. Cereals, pseudo-cereals, legumes, and grains represent the crops most frequently affected by contamination, as demonstrated by many alerts documented on the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) portal throughout the last 28–30 years. The cross-contamination of various vegetable food products arises from their morphological and botanical similarities to other commonly consumed vegetables, particularly the young leaves of borage and spinach. Their global distribution and invasive nature further exacerbate this issue. The current chapter presents a complete summary of the current information on the contamination of foods and feeds, as well as the economic concessions available for the production of TAs, ranging from food production to feed production.