Ergot Fungus (claviceps Purpurea) Ergot Alkaloids And Ergotism In The Central Highlands Of Arsi Ethiopia

Ergot fungi, Claviceps species, parasitize several monocot plants and produce a hardened dark torndark-purple structure called the sclerotia. In Ethiopia, the ergot fungus infects only the wild oatrnplant (Avena abyssinica) which is endemic to Ethiopia and Yemen. Ergot alkaloids produced in thernsclerotia of the ergot fungus, were responsible for mass poisoning in various areas of the world,rnwith the most recent report of mass poisoning in Arsi, Ethiopia. This study was initiated with thernobjectives of identifying the ergot fungus (Claviceps purpurea) based on morphological andrnmolecular characteristics, ergot alkaloids, and assessing the knowledge of study participants aboutrnergot fungus and ergotism from the previously reported outbreaks areas of Arsi, Ethiopia.rnDimensions of the sexual and asexual structures were studied and statistically significantrndifferences (n = 30, P < 0.001) in the length and width of sclerotia collected from the study sitesrnKechema Murkicha, Bucho Selassie and Shaldo Jigessa were observed. Dimensions of sclerotiarncollected from all the study sites significantly differed (p < 0.001) from the dimensions of wild oatsrnseeds (n = 30). But, statistically significant differences were not observed (p > 0.05) for therndimensions of conidia of ergot fungi collected from different study sites. Growth (100%) of thernsexual stage occurred only on Petri dishes incubated for 21 days at 5 OC followed by incubation atrn25 OC. No growth was observed on the Petri dishes incubated under other temperature treatments.rnThe mean length of stromata ranged from 18.5 mm to 19mm and the mean diameter of capitularnranged from 1.8 mm to 2mm. Cylindrical to flask shaped perithecia with mean length and width ofrn158.8 ± 3.7 μm and 89.2 ± 1.7 μm, and filiform shaped ascospores with mean length and width ofrn77.1 ± 3.7 μm and 3.3 ± 0.5 μm respectively were observed.rnPhylogenetic analysis of the β-tubulin intron 3 region using maximum parsimony placed ourrnisolates in a separate cluster with strong bootstrap value of 94. Qualitative studies of the ergotrnalkaloids using UPLC-QTOF High Definition Mass Spectrometery revealed the presence ofrnergometrine, ergocryptine, ergocornine, ergosine, ergovaline, lysergyl alanine, lysergyl valine,rnvaline methyl ester, their respective -innine isomers and an ergopeptam (ergocryptam). A crosssectionalrnstudy conducted to assess the awareness of study participants recruited from Tijo, Digelurnand Kechema areas, Arsi, Ethiopia, showed lack of awareness about the fungus and the disease itrncauses. Among the study participants who were shown the coloured picture of ergot fungus,rnmajority 55 (32.7%) described its name as ‘Sinara Guracha’ which is synonymous with “Black wildrniirnoat”. A multiple logistic regression model fitted revealed statistically significant association of thernstudy sites with knowledge of ergot (p < 0.05). Finally, morphological and molecular characteristicsrnplaced the ergot fungi in the current study under Claviceps purpurea. The presence of the Clavicepsrnpurpurea in farmers’ field, detection of additional toxic ergot alkaloids and lack of awareness of thernstudy participants about the ergot fungus, Claviceps purpurea, are the potential risks for therncommunity.

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