Methods for analysis of ergot alkaloids

Abstract

The determination of contamination of feed and food by ergot alkaloids is of great importance in preventing poisoning of cattle and consumers and economic losses. Established but crude methods based on the gravimetric measurement of ergot fruiting bodies (sclerotia) after microscopy and manual selection are now being replaced by more sophisticated techniques. Enzyme linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) can rapidly indicate the total ergot contamination on several samples simultaneously but give no information on the individual alkaloids. Methods based on liquid chromatography with detection by fluorescence measurement or mass spectrometry permit the quantification of individual ergot alkaloids and their epimers, which is important as their toxicities vary. The merits and handicaps of these methods are described, and associated factors such as the availability and stability of standards, and the extraction procedures are discussed.