Ergot Poisoning

hope this helps to answer most questions related to ergot.

1. ERGOT POISONING THE STORY OF A PARASITIC FUNGUS MADE BY DR.MEMOONA AMJID Roll no 88

2. Contents of this lecture: Source Life cycle Occurrence Signs in plants Ergot alkaloids Mechanism of action Signs and symptoms of poisoning Discovery of ergotism Fatality Treatment Post mortem appearance ML Aspects

3. Source: The sclerotium of a parasitic fungus  (Claviceps purpura), is known as ergot . Ascomycete fungus; makes a hard black elongated structure  

4. LIFE CYCLE OF ERGOT

5. OCCURS in which plants? ANS: cereals RYE WHEAT BARLEY

6. SIGNS OF ERGOT IN PLANTS Signs of ergot first appear as droplets of a sticky exudate (called honeydew ) on immature grain heads.  Honeydew contains asexual spores of the ergot fungus. insects are attracted to honeydew and can carry spores from infected to healthy plants.   After approximately two weeks, infected grains are replaced by dark, compact fungal structures (called sclerotia) .

7. ERGOT ALKALOIDES  Presently there are 40 known ergot alkaloids produced by various Claviceps strains.

8. ACTIVE PRINCIPLES OF ERGOT ERGOTOXIN ERGOTAMINE ERGOMETRINE

9. MECHANISM OF ACTION (2 types of actions) EFFECT ON CIRCULATORY SYSTEM Some ergot alkaloids have a vasoconstrictor effect on circulatory system EFFECT ON NERVOUS SYSTEM Some ergot alkaloids have serotonergic effect on nervous system

10. Signs AND Symptoms of ERGOT POISONING (ACUTE AND CHRONIC)

11. 1) ACUTE ERGOT POISONING (rare case) Vasoconstrictor effects Serotonergic effects Leading to smooth muscle contractions Tingling in hands and feet Cold feeling Nausea,vomiting,diarrhea Muscle cramps Abortion in cases of pregnancy Hemorrhages in uterus Pain in abdomen

12. CHRONIC ERGOT POISONING AKA Ergotism (was common in the past) The common name for ergotism is "St. Anthony's Fire"   in reference to an order of monks (cases of 1905) and the severe burning sensations in the limbs which was one of the symptoms.

13. CHRONIC ERGOT POISONING (2 TYPES) GANGRENOUS FORM (due to vasoconstrictive effect) CONVULSIVE FORM (due to seretonergic effect) Resmbles Ranaud's Disease Numbness Gangrene of fingers,toes,ears,nose,intestine(causing ulcers) marked by violent burning absent peripheral pulses s shooting pain of the poorly vascularized distal organs, such as the fingers and toes loss of limbs due to severely restricted blood circulation. Painful tonic contraction of volountary muscles muscle spasms,  fever and hallucinations and  the victims may appear dazed, be unable to speak, become manic,  or have other forms of paralysis or tremor s, and suffer from hallucinations and other distorted perceptions. formication

14. DISCOVERY OF ERGOTISM

15. Saint Anthony's fire In 1722, A Russian Tzar  Peter the Great  was thwarted in his campaign against the Ottoman Empire as his army, traveling down the Terek steppe, were struck by ergotism and were forced to retreat in order to find edible grains. A diary entry from the time describes that as soon as people ate the poisoned bread they became dizzy, with such strong nerve contractions that those who did not die from the first day found their hands and feet falling off, akin to frostbite. The epidemic was known as Saint Anthony's fire or ignis sacer, 

16. FATAL DOSE: 1g   FATAL PERIOD : one to several days

17. TREATMENT ACUTE CHRONIC Stomach wash Purgatives (main focus is to remove the ergot alkaloids from stomach and bowel cuz there is no antidote) Remove the source discontinuance of the drugs(having ergotamine etc used for migraine), of  caffeine , and of cigarettes Symptomatic treatment Phenobarbitol vasodilators

18. Post-mortem appearance Mycelium or sclerota  can be detected in stomach. Gangrene of toes and fingers There can be congestion of internal organs

19. MEDICOLEGAL SIGNIFICANCE

20. POSITIVE ASPECTS NEGATIVE ASPECTS Ergotamine : It is used medicinally for treatment of acute migraine attacks (sometimes in combination with caffeine) to induce childbirth  prevent post-partum haemorrhage   They have also been used and misused as abortifacients (agents of abortion). LSD, abbreviation of lysergic acid diethylamide, also called lysergide, potent synthetic  hallucinogenic  drug that can be derived from the  ergot   alkaloids