claviceps cultivation with tryptophan?

[POPTART]

In the Biochemical Data section there is a line that says "The addition of l-tryptophan in the cultures implies a remarkable increase of the quantity of the produced ergot alkaloids". Swim is guessing that this could also be a good idea for claviceps cultivation too.

Any ideas?

http://www.eleusis.ws/en/articles/vel-fumigatus.shtml

[Bubbleplate]

supposedly, increase alkaloid production by adding tryptophan, and some won't, according to papers in various microbiological journals and Patents. You have to try it and test for alks. for each strain...

[POPTART]

So, we're looking at a thesis here. This can become a laborious job to itentify especially if the strain being used is unknown.
Thanks for your help

[Bubbleplate]

and getting alkaloids out of it. Like I've posted here before, it's easy to grow the fungus; harder to isolate and identify a strain that actually produces anything.
The techniques used to identify strains that produce alkaloids are:
1) Color: Strains that produce purple or red coloration into the agar or liquid mediums are usually a sign of alkaloid production.
2) Chemical Testing - Test extract of fungus with para-dimethylaminobenzaldehyde (PDAB); i.e. Ehrlich-van Urk test.
3) Spectrometer - Test for alkaloids using a photospectrometer in the UV range

[POPTART]

Thanks bubbleplate,
SWIM, will stick to developing/finding a strain without tryptophan.
From what SWIM has read, mutations can be induced with uv. That's one step of getting higher alkaloid producing strains.
Thanks for your help