Mycotoxin contamination of dietary supplements represents a possible risk for human health, especially in the case of products intended for people suffering from certain health conditions. The aim of this study was to assess the extent of this problem based on analyses of a wide set of herbal-based dietary supplements intended for various purposes: (i) treatment of liver diseases (milk thistle); (ii) reduction of menopause effects (red clover, flax seed, and soy); and (iii) preparations for general health support (green barley, nettle, goji berries, yucca, etc.) The analytical method including 57 mycotoxins was based on a QuEChERS-like (quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, safe) approach and ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry. The main mycotoxins determined were Fusarium trichothecenes, zearalenone and enniatins, and Alternaria mycotoxins. Co-occurrence of enniatins, HT-2/T-2 toxins, and Alternaria toxins was observed in many cases. The highest mycotoxin concentrations were found in milk thistle-based supplements (up to 37 mg/kg in the sum).

†Department of Food Analysis and Nutrition University of Chemistry and Technology Technicka 3 16628 Prague 6 Czech Republic

‡Covance Laboratories Nutritional Chemistry and Food Safety 3301 Kinsman Blvd Madison Wisconsin 53704 United States

References provided by Crossref.org

Investigation of Ochratoxin A and Citrinin Occurrence in Medicinal Herbal Products from the Czech Market

Determination of T-2 and HT-2 Toxins in Seed of Milk Thistle [Silybum marianum (L.) Gaertn.] Using Immunoaffinity Column by UPLC-MS/MS

The Effect of Mycotoxins and Silymarin on Liver Lipidome of Mice with Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

Bacterial and fungal endophyte communities in healthy and diseased oilseed rape and their potential for biocontrol of Sclerotinia and Phoma disease

Presence of Mycotoxins in Milk Thistle (Silybum marianum) Food Supplements: A Review

In Silico and In Vitro Studies of Mycotoxins and Their Cocktails; Their Toxicity and Its Mitigation by Silibinin Pre-Treatment

Poor chemical and microbiological quality of the commercial milk thistle-based dietary supplements may account for their reported unsatisfactory and non-reproducible clinical outcomes