The Vespiary

The Hive => Tryptamine Chemistry => Topic started by: POPTART on August 07, 2003, 07:33:00 AM

Title: claviceps cultivation with tryptophan?
Post by: POPTART on August 07, 2003, 07:33:00 AM

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

Title: Some strains will
Post by: Bubbleplate on August 07, 2003, 12:32:00 PM

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...

Title: :-( So, we're looking at a thesis here.
Post by: POPTART on August 08, 2003, 08:57:00 AM

:( 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

Title: Well, That's True For Growing Claviceps
Post by: Bubbleplate on August 08, 2003, 10:39:00 AM

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

Title: Thanks bubbleplate, SWIM, will stick to ...
Post by: POPTART on August 11, 2003, 05:20:00 AM

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  :)