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. 2020 Nov 27;6(4):322. doi: 10.3390/jof6040322

Table 2.

Documented effects of alkaloids expressed by Epichloë on animal health and welfare.

Alkaloid Animal Effect Action and Qualifying Information Reference
Ergot Alkaloids [177]
Chanoclavine No toxic effects at levels found in grasses May lower prolactin serum levels at high concentrations [178,179]
Dehydroergovaline May contribute to toxicity Present only in fescue [13]
Ergine Stupor High levels in Stipa robusta and Achnatherum inebrians [13,180,181]
Ergocornine Fescue toxicosis Intermediate in vasoconstriction between ergovaline and lysergic acid [154]
Ergocristine
Ergocryptine
Ergonovine
Ergonovine Fescue toxicosis Lowered skin temperature, heart rate, and prolactin and had a higher respiration rate and blood pressure [182]
Ergotamine Fescue toxicosis Similar vasoconstriction effect as ergovaline [183]
Ergotamine Fescue toxicosis Fever, diarrhoea, weight loss, laboured breathing, salivation, low prolactin [182,184]
Ergosine
Agroclavine
Ergovaline Fescue toxicosis/fescue foot Inability to regulate body temperature; vasoconstrictor; regulates prolactin [143,152,182,185,186,187]
Heat stress Increased body temperature [146,188]
Lysergic acid Fescue toxicosis Lysergic acid is a major breakdown compound from ergovaline in rumen [153,189]
1000 times less potent than ergovaline as a vasoconstrictor [183,190]
Indole-Diterpenoids
Epoxyjanthitrems Staggers Can be intense but short lived [191,192]
Lolilline Not tremorgenic [193]
Lolitrems A, B, and F Ryegrass staggers Neurotoxin that affects muscular coordination; delayed onset but persistent; marked increases in respiration rate, heart rate, and blood pressure. [84,152,158,160,193,194,195,196,197,198]
31-epi-Lolitrem B Not tremorgenic - [193]
Lolitrem E Minor tremorgen Inhibitor of mitotic kinesin (Eg5) [199,200]
Lolitriol Not tremorgenic - [201]
Paspaline Not tremorgenic - [198]
Paxilline Moderate tremorgen Fast acting but short longevity; marked increases in respiration rate, heart rate. and blood pressure. [160,201,202,203,204,205]
Terpendole C Tremorgen Fast acting, intense but short lived [206]
Terpendole M Mild tremorgen Short lived [207]
Pyrrolopyrazine Alkaloid
Peramine No known mammalian toxicity Possible association with causing diarrhoea, but later proven incorrect [169,208,209]
Pyrrolizidine Alkaloids [175]
N-acetyl loline (NAL) No known mammalian toxicity - [168,175,210]
N-acetylnorloline (NANL) No consistent mammalian toxicity - [168,174,175,210]
N-formyl loline (NFL) No known mammalian toxicity - [168,175,210]