Variability in the content and composition of alkaloids found in Canadian ergot. II. Wheat.

The total alkaloid content and individual alkaloid composition were determined by colorimetry and high performance liquid chromatography, respectively, for Canadian wheat ergot sclerotia. The total alkaloid content was highly variable between individual sclerotia from the same or different sources and ranged from 0.013 to 0.307%; the overall average for bulked samples from 75 sites was 0.163%. Ergocristine and its isomer ergocristinine were the major constituents (approximately 46%). Other alkaloid pairs observed were ergotamine (approximately 17%), ergocryptine (approximately 12%), ergocornine (approximately 11%), ergometrine (approximately 7%), and ergosine (approximately 5%), plus about 2% unidentified alkaloids.