Abstract
The negative impacts of ergot contamination of grain on the health of humans and animals were first documented during the fifth century AD. Although ergotism is now rare in humans, cleaning contaminated grain concentrates ergot bodies in screenings which are used as livestock feed. Ergot is found worldwide, with even low concentrations of alkaloids in the diet (<100 ppb total), reducing the growth efficiency of livestock. Extended periods of increased moisture and cold during flowering promote the development of ergot in cereal crops. Furthermore, the unpredictability of climate change may have detrimental impacts to important cereal crops, such as wheat, barley, and rye, favoring ergot production. Allowable limits for ergot in livestock feed are confusing as they may be determined by proportions of ergot bodies or by total levels of alkaloids, measurements that may differ widely in their estimation of toxicity. The proportion of individual alkaloids, including ergotamine, ergocristine, ergosine, ergocornine, and ergocryptine is extremely variable within ergot bodies and the relative toxicity of these alkaloids has yet to be determined. This raises concerns that current recommendations on safe levels of ergot in feeds may be unreliable. Furthermore, the total ergot alkaloid content is greatly dependent on the geographic region, harvest year, cereal species, variety, and genotype. Considerable animal-to-animal variation in the ability of the liver to detoxify ergot alkaloids also exists and the impacts of factors, such as pelleting of feeds or use of binders to reduce bioavailability of alkaloids require study. Accordingly, unknowns greatly outnumber the knowns for cereal ergot and further study to help better define allowable limits for livestock would be welcome.
Highlights
Mycotoxigenic fungi have the ability to inhabit grain cereals, leading to decreased grain yield and quality, mycotoxin production, and reduced animal performance [1, 2]
Cereal Ergot and Animal Production alkaloids are toxic to humans and animals if they are consumed in sufficient amounts, causing a disease called “Ergotism” [5]
Ergot alkaloids continue to be a concern for livestock as allowable limits are less rigorous for feeds and the screenings containing ergot bodies are frequently used as feed
Summary
Received: 17 December 2015 Accepted: 09 February 2016 Published: 25 February 2016. Citation: Coufal-Majewski S, Stanford K, McAllister T, Blakley B, McKinnon J, Chaves AV and Wang Y (2016) Impacts of Cereal Ergot in Food. Ergotism is rare in humans, cleaning contaminated grain concentrates ergot bodies in screenings which are used as livestock feed. Allowable limits for ergot in livestock feed are confusing as they may be determined by proportions of ergot bodies or by total levels of alkaloids, measurements that may differ widely in their estimation of toxicity. The proportion of individual alkaloids, including ergotamine, ergocristine, ergosine, ergocornine, and ergocryptine is extremely variable within ergot bodies and the relative toxicity of these alkaloids has yet to be determined. This raises concerns that current recommendations on safe levels of ergot in feeds may be unreliable.
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