Medicines Ergot alkaloids

There are currently two medicinally valuable alkaloids of commercial import obtained from ergot. Commercial production involves generation parasiticaHy on rye in the field or production in culture because a commercially useful synthesis is unavailable. The common technique today (65) is to grow the fungus in submerged culture. Clavicepspaspali (Stevens and Hall) is said to be more productive than C. purpurea (Fries). In this way, ergotamine (100,... 

Some of these natural products—and drugs made from them—are known collectively as the ergot alkaloids, and have found use in medicine. Ergonovine, for example, is a selective stimulant for contraction of uterine muscle and is used in conjunction with labor and delivery. A mixture of hydrogenated ergot alkaloids—reduced at the 9,10-position—has found... 

Kren V, Harazim P and Malinka Z (1994) Claviceps purpurea (ergot) culture and bioproduction of ergot alkaloids. Biotechnology in Agriculture and Forestry, Vol 58 Medicinal and Aromatic Plants VII (ed Bajaj YPS). Springer, Heidelberg, pp 139-156. 

The neurohumoral effects of the ergot alkaloids are manifested in an antagonism to adrenaline and noradrenaline on the one hand and to 5-hydroxytryptamine (serotonin) on the other. The adrenolytic elfect accounts for the use of the ergot alkaloids in internal medicine for the treatment of sympathetic overexcitation. The antagonism of the natural alkaloids to serotonin was discovered only in recent years, as it is not present to a marked degree. However, as will be shown subsequently, certain derivatives exhibit a marked and specific antagonism to serotonin. 

Ergot alkaloids (EA) are broadly used in many fields of medicine. At present there exist more than 50 formulations in clinical use containing natural or semisynthetic ergot alkaloids. 

Kfen V, Harazim P, Malinka Z (1994) Claviceps purpurea (Ergot) Cultivation and ergot alkaloid bioproduction. In Baja) YPS (ed) Medicinal and aromatic plants VII, Biotechnology in. riculture and Forestry (vol 28). Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York, p 139... 

Lefebvre, C.L. Ergot of Paspalum Phytopathology (1939) 29 365-367 Lehrfeld, J. Burkman, AM. Gearien, J.E. Synthesis of 6-Substi-tuted Nicotinic Acid Derivatives as Analogs of Ergot Alkaloids Journal of Medicinal Chemistry (1964) 7 150-154... 

Endocrine products Ephedrine and derivatives Ergot alkaloids Fish liver oils, refined and concentrated for medicinal use Gland derivatives bulk, uncompounded Glycosides... 

Kozlovsky AG. Producers of ergot alkaloids out of genus Claviceps. In Kren V, Cvak L, eds. Medicinal and Aromatic Plant-Industrial Profiles. Vol. Ergot, The Genus Claviceps. Amsterdam Harwood, 1999, pp 479-499. 

Maulding HV and Zoglio MA, Physical chemistry of ergot alkaloids and derivatives. I. Ionization ccHistants of several medicinally active bases, /. Pharm. Set, 59, 700-701 (1970). NB Solubility increased by complexaticHi with 7-p-hydroxypropyltheophylline (7HPT) and the apparent pKa values extrapolated to [7HPT] = 0. Solutions were titrated with carbonate-free KOH solution. See mettiysergide for further details. 

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