Claviceps Ergot, Mycotoxins

Mycotoxins of most interest are those found in human food or in the feed of domestic animals. They include the ergot alkaloids produced by Claviceps sp aflatoxins and related compounds produced by Aspergillus sp and the tricothecenes produced by several genera of fungi imperfecti, primarily Fusarium sp. 

Ergot alkaloids are mycotoxins produced (mainly) by Claviceps species which have deleterious effects on the central nervous system of mammalia on the other hand, they have a long biotechnological tradition with manifold applications in therapy of human central nervous system (CNS) disorders (for reviews, see Keller and Tudzynski, 2001 Tudzynski et al., 2001). Chemically they are 3,4-substituted indole derivatives having a tetracyclic ergoline ring structure (Fig. 2). 

Multianalyte methods used to measure substantial numbers of mycotoxins in feed and food have often included ergot alkaloids [12, 33-35]. A multianalyte LC-MS/MS method without cleanup has been used to measure 87 different mycotoxins including 25 ergot alkaloids with LODs of 0.02-1.2 pg kg . A similar approach has been used to perform a semiquantitative survey that included all 12 of the major C. purpurea ergot alkaloids and also another 12 other ergot alkaloids from different other Claviceps species. 

The ergochromes are a group of light yellow mycotoxins which were first isolated from ergot, the sclerotia of the filamentous fungus Claviceps purpurea, and later also were isolated from mold fungi and lichens. Isolation... 

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