Page 42 - Pharmacognosy 02-06203

Parasitic Fungi Ergot

Ergot is the dried sclerotium of Claviceps purpurea, family Hypocreaceae, developed in the ovary
of the rye plant, Secale cereale,family Graminae.

The Powder:

1. Vascular tissues, trichomes, starch and calcium- oxalate are completely absent.

2. Powdered ergot will produce a strong odour of tri-methylamine when treated with
NaOH solution.

3. The powder has a strong reddish colour in UV light. (used to detect flour adulterated
with ergot powder).

Constituents:

1. Ergot contains mainly alkaloids.
The most important of which are the Lysergic acid derivatives.
Six important alkaloids are known: they are derivatives of l-lysergic acid, in addition to their
isomers which are derivatives of d-iso-lysergic acid ( their names end in –inine ).
These six isomeric pairs fall into either the water-soluble group, or the water- insoluble groups:
Water-soluble group:

Ergometrine (l-ergonovine) and d-ergometrinine (d-ergonovinine).
Water-insoluble group:

1. Ergotamine group:
a. l-Ergotamine and d-Ergotaminine.
b. l-Ergosine and d-Ergosinine.

2. Ergotoxine group:

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