Ergovaline
Encyclopedia
Ergovaline is an ergopeptine and one of the ergot
alkaloid
s. It is usually found in endophyte
-infected species of grass like Tall fescue or Perennial Ryegrass. It is toxic to cattle feeding on infected grass, probably because is acts as a vasoconstrictor.
Ergot
Ergot or ergot fungi refers to a group of fungi of the genus Claviceps. The most prominent member of this group is Claviceps purpurea. This fungus grows on rye and related plants, and produces alkaloids that can cause ergotism in humans and other mammals who consume grains contaminated with its...
alkaloid
Alkaloid
Alkaloids are a group of naturally occurring chemical compounds that contain mostly basic nitrogen atoms. This group also includes some related compounds with neutral and even weakly acidic properties. Also some synthetic compounds of similar structure are attributed to alkaloids...
s. It is usually found in endophyte
Endophyte
An endophyte is an endosymbiont, often a bacterium or fungus, that lives within a plant for at least part of its life without causing apparent disease. Endophytes are ubiquitous and have been found in all the species of plants studied to date; however, most of these endophyte/plant relationships...
-infected species of grass like Tall fescue or Perennial Ryegrass. It is toxic to cattle feeding on infected grass, probably because is acts as a vasoconstrictor.