Analysis of ergots from winter wheat in northern Scotland

Abstract

Ergots are the sclerotia of Claviceps purpurea (Fr.) Tul., which periodically infects certain cereals especially wheat and rye, and frequently infects numerous grasses (Mantle, 1977a). The ergots are produced in the seeding heads of the plant and are harvested with, and thus contaminate, the grain, causing the mycotoxicosis known as ‘ergotism’ in livestock fed contaminated cereals, or in humans eating bread made from contaminated flour (Mantle, 19776). The disease is caused by certain alkaloid constituents of the ergots which are derived from lysergic acid. Symptoms in humans are hallucinations, convulsions, gangrene of the limbs and other extremities, and eventually death. Seven isomeric pairs of indole alkaloids have been isolated from ergot, ergocristine and ergocristinine, ergotamine and ergotaminine, ergocryptine and ergocryptinine, ergocornine and ergocorninine, ergosine and ergosinine, ergostine and ergostinine, and ergometrine and ergometrinine. The first named of each pair is derived from lysergic acid and is physiologically active, while the second is derived from isolysergic acid and has little physiological activity.