Matrin and the structurally related oxymatrin occur naturally in traditional Chinese medicine plants such as Sophora flavescens and possess insecticidal properties. Matrin is registered in the Asian countries Bangladesh, China, Mongolia, Myanmar and Vietnam, Oxymatrin in Pakistan and Vietnam. In the EU, matrin and oxymatrin are currently not registered as pesticides. The European Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) reported the detection of 0.036 and 0.035 mg/kg oxymatrine in organic acacia honey from China in member country Spain in June 2021.
To see in the picture: Structural formulas of matrine (left) and oxymatrine (right).
FoodQS extends the spectrum for honey-related pesticides (Art. 147) to include matrine and oxymatrine and offers their detection with a limit of quantification of 0.01 mg/kg by LC-MS/MS.
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