ABSTRACT

This chapter provides state-of-the-art overviews on foodborne diseases caused by ergot alkaloids in relation to their etiology, biology, epidemiology, clinical presentation, pathogenesis, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention. Ergot alkaloids are mycotoxins produced by a diversity of filamentous ascomycetes that form symbiotic or pathogenic relationships with agricultural plants. Typically, the mycelia of these fungal taxa invade plant seed, and generate an alkaloid-containing structure, which may cause ergot alkaloid poisoning in humans and animals upon ingestion. The history of ergot fungi could trace back to a time well before human civilization began. This is highlighted by the recent discovery of an amber fossil containing Paleoclaviceps parasiticus ergot, dated to the Cretaceous period. As the ergoline ring structure resembles that found in the biogenic amines, serotonin, dopamine, norepinephrine, and epinephrine, it allows ergot alkaloids to bind biogenic amine receptors. However, censored or nonauthorized use of ergot alkaloid derivatives has emerged as a non-negligible public health issue worldwide.