ISOLATION AND QUANTIFICATION OF ERGOVALINE FROM FESTUCA-ARUNDINACEA (TALL FESCUE) INFECTED WITH THE FUNGUS ACREMONIUM-COENOPHIALUM BY HIGH-PERFORMANCE CAPILLARY ELECTROPHORESIS

We developed an easy and sensitive high-performance capillary zone ele ctrophoresis method for the determination of ergovaline in the seeds o f Festuca arundinacea (tall fescue) infected with the endophytic, asco mycetous fungus Acremonium coenophialum. The seeds were extracted with chloroform, and the chloroform extract was filtered and evaporated wi th a Rotavapor. The concentrated extract was passed through a SM2 Bio- Beads and the alkaloids on the Bio-Beads were redissolved by methanol. A 60 cm x 75 mu m I.D. fused-silica capillary was used for separation by capillary electrophoresis. A UV detector was used for detection, w hich was set at 250 nm. A 0.1 M sodium dihydrogenphosphate in 50% (v/v ) methanol, pH 3.5, was used as a buffer. With this method, the ergova line at low mu g per kg seeds can be detected and quantified.