Endophyte Mycotoxins in Animal Health

Recent Advances in Phytochemistry 42, DOI 10.1007/978-1-4614-4066-6_3, © Springer Science+Business Media New York 2012 Abstract Fescue toxicosis and perennial ryegrass staggers are two of the most common toxic plant diseases plaguing livestock in the United States, and result from consumption of forage containing the endophyte-produced mycotoxins ergovaline and lysergic acid (fescue toxicosis) and lolitrem B (ryegrass staggers). Our group has developed analytical assays for detecting these compounds, which serve a dual purpose (1) high-performance liquid chromatography-fluorescence assays are used to measure these compounds in feed material in order to promote “safe feed” through diagnostic testing in a service laboratory environment, and (2) highly sensitive and specific liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry assays are utilized to study the fate and metabolism of these compounds in a diversity of livestock matrices so that a more refined understanding as to the etiology of the diseases these compounds cause can be achieved. A discussion applying these techniques to both current and anticipated studies is given, with an emphasis on impacts to trade and food safety regulation.