Ergot Alkaloids

Other Names Ergoline, ergoline alkaloids, ergot alkaloids, ergotalkaloide, mutterkornalkaloide Ergot alkaloids are derivatives of lysergic acid or clavine derivatives and belong to the group of indole alkaloids. They are found in many climbing plants (Convolvulaceae) and fungi (Claviceps purpurea, Claviceps paspali, Claviceps spp.). The ergot alkaloids can be divided into two groups that exhibit stark pharmacological differences. One group is composed of alkaloids that are highly toxic and cause gangrenous ergotism, while the other group consists of psychoactive alkaloids with hallucinogenic effects. Both types may be present in the same plant (Hofmann 1964). The following ergot alkaloids have been found in the Convolvulaceae: agroclavine, ergine, ergonovine, isoergine (= isolysergic acid amide), chanoclavine I and II, racemic chanoclavine II, elymoclavine, festuclavine, lysergene, lysergol, isolysergol, molliclavine, penniclavine, cycloclavine, stetoclavine, isostetoclavine, ergometrinine, lysergic acid-a-hydroxyethylamide (= lysergic acid methylcarbinolamide), isolysergic acid-a-hydroxyethylamide (= isolysergic acid methylcarbinolamide), ergosine, and ergosinine (cf. Argyreia nervosa, Convolvulus tricolor, Ipomoea violacea, Ipomoea spp., Turbina corymbosa). One hallucinogenic ergot alkaloid is ergonovine (ergometrine, D-Iysergic acid-L-2-propanolamide, ergobasin, ergotocine, ergostetrine, ergotrate, syntometrine, N- [a -(hydroxymethyl)ethyl] -D-Iysergic amide). Ergonovine maleate is psychoactive at dosages between 3 and 10 mg (Bigwood et al. 1979). The semi-synthetic methylergonovine has also been reported to induce psychoactive effects (Ott and Neely 1980). Ergine (= lysergic acid amide, LSA, lysergic amide, 9,10-didehydro-6-methylergoline-8~-carboxamide) induces psychoactive effects reminiscent of those produced by LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide). LSD is a slight chemical variant of lysergic acid amide that can be produced from ergot (Claviceps purpurea). LSD is a psychopharmaca, a "remedy for the soul" (Albert Hofmann) whose entheogenic effects are very well known (Hofmann 1979*). The ergot alkaloids dihydroergotaminemesilate, dihydroergotamintartrate, ergometrine hydrogenmaleate, and ergotamine tartrate have a variety of uses in medicine, including as treatments for labor contractions and migraines.

Commercial Forms and Regulations Ergonovine requires a prescription. In the United States, ergine is a controlled substance (Ott 1993, 437*). LSD is illegal throughout the world. Literature See also the entries for Claviceps paspali, Claviceps purpurea, and indole alkaloids. Bigwood, Jeremy, Jonathan Ott, Catherine Thompson, and Patricia Neely. 1979. Entheogenic effects of ergonovine. Journal of Psychedelic Drugs 11 (1-2): 147-49. Hofmann, Albert. 1964. Die Mutterkorn-Alkaloide. Stuttgart: Enke. Ott, Jonathan, and Patricia Neely. 1980. Entheogenic (hallucinogenic) effects of methylergonovine. Journal ofPsychedelic Drugs 12 (2): 165-66. Rivier, 1. 1984. Ethnopharmacology of LSD and related compounds. In 50 years ofLSD: Current status and perspectives ofhallucinogens, ed. A. Pletscher and D. Ladewig, 43-55. NewYork and London: Parthenon Publishing. Yui, T., and Y. Takeo. 1958. Neuropharmacological studies on a new series of ergot alkaloids. Japanese Journal ofPharmacology 7: 157.