TY - JOUR AB - Pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) are a widespread class of hepatotoxic heterocyclic organic compounds found in approximately 3% of world flora. Some PAs have been shown to have genotoxic and carcinogenic effects. The present study focuses on the toxicity effects of four dry extracts obtained from medicinal plants (Senecio vernalis, Symphytum officinale, Petasites hybridus and Tussilago farfara), on two aquatic organisms, Artemia salina and Daphnia magna, and the correlation with their PAs content. A new GC‑MS method, using a retention time (TR)‑5MS type capillary column was developed. PAs Kovats retention indices, for this type of column were computed for the first time. The lethal dose 50% (LC50) values for the two invertebrate models were correlated (Pearson 's coefficient, >0.9) and the toxicity was PA concentration-dependent, for three of the four extracts. All tested extracts were found to be toxic in both aquatic organism models. The results can be used to develop a GC‑MS validated method for the assay of PAs in medicinal plants with a further potential application in the risk assessment study of PAs toxicity in humans. AD - Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Medicine and Pharmacy ‘Carol Davila’, 020956 Bucharest, Romania Laboratory of Clinical Virology, School of Medicine, University of Crete, 71003 Heraklion, Crete, Greece Department of Forensic Sciences and Toxicology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Crete, 71409 Heraklion, Crete, Greece School of Life and Health Sciences, Aston University, B4 7ET Birmingham, UK AU - Seremet,Oana ,Cristina AU - Olaru,Octavian ,Tudorel AU - Gutu,Claudia ,Maria AU - Nitulescu,George ,Mihai AU - Ilie,Mihaela AU - Negres,Simona AU - Zbarcea,Cristina ,Elena AU - Purdel,Carmen ,Nicoleta AU - Spandidos,Demetrios,A. AU - Tsatsakis,Aristides ,M. AU - Coleman,Michael ,D. AU - Margina,Denisa ,Marilena DA - 2018/06/01 DO - 10.3892/mmr.2018.8795 EP - 7763 IS - 6 JO - Mol Med Rep KW - pyrrolizidine alkaloids Artemia salina Daphnia magna acute toxicity medicinal plants GC‑MS analysis PY - 2018 SN - 1791-2997 1791-3004 SP - 7757 ST - Toxicity of plant extracts containing pyrrolizidine alkaloids using alternative invertebrate models T2 - Molecular Medicine Reports TI - Toxicity of plant extracts containing pyrrolizidine alkaloids using alternative invertebrate models UR - https://doi.org/10.3892/mmr.2018.8795 VL - 17 ER -