Cases of ergotism in livestock and associated ergot alkaloid concentrations in feed

Craig, A. Morrie; Klotz, J. L.; Duringer, Jennifer M.

doi:10.3389/fchem.2015.00008

Cited by 44 publications

(51 citation statements)

References 36 publications

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“…Craig et al (2015) summarized case studies where symptoms of ergot alkaloid toxicity were noted and feed samples were analyzed within a short period of time. This is due to several factors, such as their chemical behavior (instability at ambient conditions, isomerization, multiple functional groups, etc.)…”

Section: Tea Concentrationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Nitrogen Fertilization Rates Influence Stockpiled Tall Fescue Forage through Winter

et al. 2017

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Tall fescue [Lolium arundinaceum (Schreb.) Darbyish.] can be autumn stockpiled to extend the grazing season. The objectives of this study were to determine (i) optimum mid‐August N fertilization rate for stockpiled yield with or without red clover (Trifolium pratense L.), (ii) if mid‐August N applications affect the persistence of red clover in a mixed sward, (iii) how N fertilization rates affect total ergot alkaloids (TEA) in November, and (iv) if N fertilization rates and harvest months affect nutritive value through winter. At the University of Missouri Forage Systems Research Center near Linneus, MO, five N fertilization rates were applied in mid‐August and forage was harvested the following November through March. Dry matter yield, crude protein (CP), and in vitro true digestibility (IVTD) were determined for each sampling date. Each November, TEA were measured from tall fescue‐only plots. Red clover densities were determined each June. Stockpiled yields increased with increasing N fertilization rates up to 168 kg N ha−1. Red clover neither impaired nor improved stockpiled forage yield. Red clover densities decreased linearly as N fertilization rate increased the previous August. Sward type affected nutritive value minimally. Losses in CP and IVTD through winter averaged 20 and 60 g kg−1, respectively, over the 4 yr. Application of 56 kg N ha−1 provided forage with CP concentrations that would support nonlactating beef cows. Fertilization rates of ≥112 kg N ha−1 resulted in November TEA concentrations that are toxic to grazing livestock. For optimum stockpiled forage yields, forage should be fertilized with <112 kg N ha−1 and grazed before January.

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Section: Tea Concentrationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Because of vasoconstriction, ambient temperatures can amplify the alkaloid toxicosis symptoms when body temperature is not well regulated. Craig et al (2015) summarized case studies where symptoms of Fig. 3.…”

Section: Tea Concentrationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Nitrogen Fertilization Rates Influence Stockpiled Tall Fescue Forage through Winter

et al. 2017

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“…Some metabolites increase stand persistence through protection against extrinsic plant fitness factors. However, other fungal metabolites, namely, ergot alkaloids, are detrimental to grazing livestock and are key etiological agents of fescue toxicosis (FT) (16)(17)(18)(19), a disease with an estimated $1 billion negative impact on the U.S. beef industry annually, when adjusted for inflation (20,21). FT is a complex, multisystem disease manifesting as metabolic dysregulation (22), decreased volatile fatty acid (VFA) absorption (23,24), and immune/inflammatory alterations (25)(26)(27).…”

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Response of Beef Cattle Fecal Microbiota to Grazing on Toxic Tall Fescue

Mote

Hill

Skarlupka

et al. 2019

Appl Environ Microbiol

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Tall fescue, the predominant southeastern United States cool-season forage grass, frequently becomes infected with an ergot alkaloid-producing toxic endophyte, Epichloë coenophialum. Consumption of endophyte-infected fescue results in fescue toxicosis (FT), a condition that lowers beef cow productivity. Limited data on the influence of ergot alkaloids on rumen fermentation profiles or ruminal bacteria that could degrade the ergot alkaloids are available, but how FT influences the grazing bovine fecal microbiota or what role fecal microbiota might play in FT etiology and associated production losses has yet to be investigated. Here, we used 16S rRNA gene sequencing of fecal samples from weaned Angus steers grazing toxic endophyte-infected (Eϩ; n ϭ 6) or nontoxic (Max-Q; n ϭ 6) tall fescue before and 1, 2, 14, and 28 days after pasture assignment. Bacteria in the Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes phyla comprised 90% of the Max-Q and Eϩ steer fecal microbiota throughout the trial. Early decreases in the Erysipelotrichaceae family and delayed increases of the Ruminococcaceae and Lachnospiraceae families were among the major effects of Eϩ grazing. Eϩ also increased abundances within the Planctomycetes, Chloroflexi, and Proteobacteria phyla and the Clostridiaceae family. Multiple operational taxonomic units classified as Ruminococcaceae and Lachnospiraceae were correlated negatively with weight gains (lower in Eϩ) and positively with respiration rates (increased by Eϩ). These data provide insights into how Eϩ grazing alters the Angus steer microbiota and the relationship of fecal microbiota dynamics with FT. IMPORTANCE Consumption of Eϩ tall fescue has an estimated annual $1 billion negative impact on the U.S. beef industry, with one driver of these costs being lowered weight gains. As global agricultural demand continues to grow, mitigating production losses resulting from grazing the predominant southeastern United States forage grass is of great value. Our investigation of the effects of Eϩ grazing on the fecal microbiota furthers our understanding of bovine fescue toxicosis in a realworld grazing production setting and provides a starting point for identifying easyto-access fecal bacteria that could serve as potential biomarkers of animal productivity and/or FT severity for tall fescue-grazing livestock.KEYWORDS Epichloë coenophialum, fescue toxicosis, beef cattle, ergot alkaloids, microbiome, tall fescue C ulture-independent next-generation sequencing (NGS)-based microbiota studies (e.g., 16S rRNA gene) in food-producing animals, like ruminants, are on the rise. The influence of the bovine microbiota on host energy status and metabolism has been studied (1-4), and recent NGS studies have linked enteric microbiota shifts to animal Citation Mote RS, Hill NS, Skarlupka JH, Turner ZB, Sanders ZP, Jones DP, Suen G, Filipov NM. 2019. Response of beef cattle fecal microbiota to grazing on toxic tall fescue. Appl Environ

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“…High amounts of sticky honeydew in the field can also hinder harvesting operations. Infested seed screenings, the plant material left over from the seed cleaning process, cannot be pelletized and sold as feed due to the presence of ergot alkaloids, which are toxic to humans and livestock (Craig et al 2015;Shelby 1999).…”

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Identification of Environmental Factors Related to Claviceps purpurea Ascospore Production in Perennial Ryegrass Seed Fields and Development of Predictive Models

et al. 2017

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Claviceps purpurea, the causal agent of ergot of perennial ryegrass seed crops, overwinters as sclerotia in the soil and releases airborne ascospores in the spring that infect flower ovaries and replace seed with sclerotia. Burkard spore traps were used to quantify the dispersal phenology and concentration of ascospores in perennial ryegrass seed fields in the Columbia Basin of Oregon. Weather factors were measured concurrently with spore trapping. Nonparametric regression, box-and-whisker plots, and univariate analysis were used to visualize and identify trends between ascospore concentrations and weather variables. Most ascospores (75.4%) were trapped when minimum soil temperatures were between 16.2 and 20.4°C. Over 67% of the total ascospores trapped were observed when minimum air temperatures were between 6.8 and 12.4°C and 64% of ascospores were trapped when daily mean dew point was between 3.7 and 8.2°C. Environmental favorability index (EFI) models were developed and validated based on their ability to predict ascospore occurrence. The EFI models were able to predict ascospore occurrence with an accuracy of 71.7 to 87.5% depending on the year. The models were up to 79.8% accurate when validated using three years of historical spore trap data not used in the EFI model development. Ninety-four percent of ascospores were trapped when cumulative air degree days, using lower and upper thresholds of 10 and 25°C, respectively, were between 230 and 403. These results suggest that weather parameters can be used to model C. purpurea ascospore occurrence and potentially improve the timing and efficacy of fungicide applications by identifying when plant protection is most needed.

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Cases of ergotism in livestock and associated ergot alkaloid concentrations in feed

Cited by 44 publications

References 36 publications

Nitrogen Fertilization Rates Influence Stockpiled Tall Fescue Forage through Winter

Nitrogen Fertilization Rates Influence Stockpiled Tall Fescue Forage through Winter

Response of Beef Cattle Fecal Microbiota to Grazing on Toxic Tall Fescue

Identification of Environmental Factors Related to Claviceps purpurea Ascospore Production in Perennial Ryegrass Seed Fields and Development of Predictive Models

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