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] |