Allan D. Hawkes

Tremorgenic neurotoxins from perennial ryegrass causing ryegrass staggers disorder of livestock: structure elucidation of lolitrem B

The lolitrems, tremorgenic neurotoxins from perennial ryegrass, are implicated in ryegrass staggers disorder in livestock; the assignment of structure (1) to the major neurotoxin, lolitrem B, is based on its spectroscopic properties, particularly a detailed structure of its high-field 1H and 13C n.m.r. spectra, as well as chemical evidence.

Rapid determination of the neurotoxin lolitrem B in perennial ryegrass by high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection

A rapid, sensitive and quantitative method, based on high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection, is described for the determination of the neurotoxin lolitrem B in perennial ryegrass, in the ppm to sub-ppm range. The method, which requires a minimal clean-up step prior to chromatographic analysis, is suitable for the routine analysis of large numbers of ryegrass samples, and is currently being used in New Zealand to study the livestock disorder ryegrass staggers. The method is suitable for determining lolitrem B in the whole plant, the seed, and dissected plant components.

High-performance liquid chromatography with stop-flow ultraviolet spectral chracterization of lolitrem neu-rotoxins from perennial ryegrass

Abstract The lotitrem neurotoxins, potent tremorgenic toxins isolated from perennial ryegrass, were examined using high-performance liquid chromatography with stop-flow UV spectral characterization. Comparison with some known indoles and indolic tremorgenic mycotoxins, together with chemically reduced lolitrem B, the major lolitrem neurotoxin, established the central indole chromophore of the lolitrems. The stop-flow UV spectral characterization was useful for identification of lolitrem B in ryegrass plant and seed extracts.