Development of HPLC-MS/MS based human biomonitoring methods for exposure assessment of ergot alkaloids

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Hans-Ulrich Humpf
• Subject Area: Food Chemistry
• Term: since 2024
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 551914865

Ergot alkaloids (EAs) are mycotoxins produced by several Claviceps species affecting primarily rye but also other grasses (wheat, rice, corn, barley, oat) relevant for food production. Studies in Germany have shown that infections of cereals with Claviceps purpurea have increased which can lead to EA-levels in the mg/kg-range in cereal products. Such high levels detected in some bread samples can cause serious health problems. The risk assessment of EAs recently provided by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) is based on the analysis of food samples in combination with average food consumption data of different populations. However, this approach is generally accompanied by considerable uncertainties, which may lead to unrealistic risk assessments. In order to verify the assessment of human exposure, the development of HPLC-MS/MS-based methods for human biomonitoring (HBM) of EAs in urine and blood samples are the central tasks of this proposal. For this a dried blood spot approach and an online solid-phase-extraction (SPE)-HPLC-MS/MS for urine samples will be used. As the human metabolism has not been elucidated in detail, this will also be subject of this project based on metabolism studies using liver fractions of human and animal origin. Relevant metabolites will be included in HBM. With the developed methods, EAs and relevant metabolites will be analyzed in available biosamples from human cohorts to support verification or disproval of the exposure assessment proposed by EFSA. Furthermore, available data from food frequency questionnaires will be used to perform correlation analyses in order to identify food samples relevant for EA intake. In summary this project is aiming to provide the basis for dietary exposure assessment of EAs based on HBM and thus will contribute to better food safety and consumer health protection related to these substances.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• Co-Investigator: Dr. Benedikt Cramer