Ergot

Biological source:Ergot(Ergot of Rye) is the dried sclerotium of a fungus, Claviceps purpurea, Family Clavicepitaceae, arising in the ovary of the rye, Secale cereale.

Macroscopic Characters:

• Ergot breaks with a short fracture and shows within the thin, dark outer layer a whitish or pinkish-whit central zone of pseudoparenchyma in which darker lines radiating from the central may be visible.
• Powdered ergot when treated with Sodium hydroxide solution develops a strong odour of trimethylamine.
• In filtered UV light it has a strong reddish colour by means of which its presence in flour may be detected.

Microscopic characters:

Ergot shows outer zone of purplish brown rectangular cells, which are often more or less obliterated. the pseudoparenchyma consists of oval or rounded cells containing fixed oil and protein, and possessing highly refractive walls which give a reaction of chitin. Cellulose and lignin are absent.

Constituents:

The ergot alkaloids(ergolines) can be divided into two classes:

1. The clavinet type alkaloids- derivatives of 6,8-dimethylergoline.
2. The lysergic acid derivatives- peptide alkaloids (pharmacologically active alkaloids of ergot).

The Ergotoxin is a mixture of three alkaloids ergocristine, ergocornine and ergocryptine.

Alkaloids of Ergot:

Ergometrine group (water soluble)	Ergometrine (-) Ergometrinine (+)	Lysergic acid or its isomer is linkd to an amino alcohol
Ergotamine group (water insoluble)	Ergotamine (-) Ergotaminine (+) Ergosine (-) Ergosinine (+)	Lysergic acid or Isolysergic acid is linked to other amino acid
Ergotoxin group (water insoluble)	Ergocristine (-) Ergocristinine (+) Ergocryptine (-) Ergocryptinine (+) Ergocornine (-) Ergocorninine (+)	“””””””””

(-) Levorotatory - medicinally active
(+) Dextrorotatory - inactive

Chemical Tests:

• Ergot powder gives a blue colour with vp-dimethylaminobenzaldehyde (Van-Urk's reagent)
• Ergot is treated with solvent ether and Sulphuric acid and the filtrate obtained shows red violet colour in its aqueous layer, when treated with saturated solution of sodium bicarbonate.
• Ergometrine give a blue fluorescence in water
• Ergotamine responds to a specific test. Little quantity of ergoamine is dissolved in glacial acetic acid and ethyl acetate. a small portion of this is treted with Sulphuric acid and shaken well by which blue colour with red tinge appears. By addition of ferric chloride, blue colour deepens, while red tinge becomes faint.

Uses:

1. Ergometrine also called ergonovine, Ergot and ergometrine are used as Oxytocic and sometimes uses to enhance the labour pains and also prevent post partum haemorrhage.
2. Ergotamine tartarate is used as specific analgesic in treatment of migraine. It is give with caffeine.
3. Ergotoxine methanesulphonates(mesylates) are used in geriatric patients.
4. Lysergic acid diethylamide(LSD) is a semisynthetic derivative, and possesses psychomimetic action in psychiatry.
5. Methyl ergometrine is generally preferred, because it causes less hypertension.