Abstract
Herbs may contain pesticide residues which are an important discriminator of food security and food quality. The challenge of the research was to assess the fate of the herbicide clethodim (CLE) and the insecticide spirotetramat (SPI) applied in herbs (BBCH 11-21) during herb growth and processing under controlled greenhouse trial conditions. The metabolic profile of CLE and SPI and their degradation products in basil (Ocimum basilicum L.), peppermint (Mentha × piperita L.) and sage (Salvia officinalis L.) was also presented. The half-lives of CLE and SPI in herbs were 1.10–1.56 days and 0.51–0.83 days, respectively. The terminal residues of SPI (SPI-enol, SPI-ketohydroxy, SPI-monohydroxy and SPI-enol-glucoside) and CLE (CLE-sulfone and CLE-sulfoxide) in herbal matrices were measured below EU maximum residue limits. In this paper, we aimed to assess the impact of washing and dehydratation pretreatment and calculated processing factors (PFs) which can be applied to more accurate food safety assessments. The PF values of CLE and SPI after drying prior washing was below 1 indicating reduction of initial residues. Drying process without washing demonstrated increases of SPI concentrations (PF up to 1.50). The lowest PFs were obtained when raw herbal plants were washed before drying showing almost complete degradation of parent compound (93–99%).
Highlights
Herbs may contain pesticide residues which are an important discriminator of food security and food quality
These include phenolic compounds, alkaloids, flavonoids, anthocyanidins, cardenolides or tannins[2]. In addition to these essential and valuable substances, herbs contain contaminants, especially pesticide residues which are a critical discriminator of food quality and safety[3]
The science aim of the study was to: (1) evaluate metabolic profile of the cyclohexanedione herbicide and the tetramic acid insecticide in herbs during plant growth; (2) present dissipation dynamics of CLE and SPI in fresh basil, peppermint and sage (Ocimum basilicum L., Mentha × piperita L. and Salvia officinalis L.) and determine the half-lives; (3) investigate the residual of these pesticides and metabolites during processing of fresh herbal plants; (4) calculate the processing factors (PFs) of sum CLE and sum SPI in washing/drying process regarding to EU residue definition and (5) an additional scientific aspect of the work will be supplementation PFs databases for the first time for herbs
Summary
Herbs may contain pesticide residues which are an important discriminator of food security and food quality. Herbal plants are widely used fresh materials for the food and health industries, especially dried herbs and spices are popular for consumers because they have multiple phytochemical properties[1] These include phenolic compounds, alkaloids, flavonoids, anthocyanidins, cardenolides or tannins[2]. In addition to these essential and valuable substances, herbs contain contaminants, especially pesticide residues which are a critical discriminator of food quality and safety[3]. Insecticide, spirotetramat belongs to tetramic acid family and is very commonly used against aphids because herbal plants are very often attracted by this insect (Table S1) After these pesticides application, metabolic pathways and degradation processes may modify the toxicological properties of the active substance[16]. Despite the presence of many health benefits of herbs, many contaminates in fresh commodities during cultivation, harvesting, processing and storage can occur and make their consumption unsafe[19]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
