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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Lexington, Kentucky » Forage-animal Production Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #400366
Research Project: The Roles of Forage and Phytochemicals at the Plant-Microbe-Animal Nexus for Sustainable Ruminant

Location: Forage-animal Production Research

Title: Physiological impact of ergot alkaloid consumption in ruminant livestock

Author
item Klotz, James
item DUCKETT, SUSAN - Clemson University
item HARMON, DAVID - University Of Kentucky

Submitted to: International Grasslands Congress
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/2/2023
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: This presentation will provide an overview of recent findings associated with the negative impacts that ergot alkaloids have on feed intake and weight gain, fetal development, and the role that persistent vasoconstriction plays in these problems in grazing livestock. This presentation will be beneficial to both researcher and producer stakeholder groups.

Technical Abstract: Ergot alkaloids in feeds and forages are a worldwide concern. Consumption of ergot alkaloids by ruminant livestock can range from extreme cases that threaten the life of the animal to more frequent and chronic outcomes where livestock productivity is decreased. Consumption of ergot alkaloids alters ruminant physiology such that it outwardly manifests in lower animal intake and gain, decreased reproductive efficiency, and a compromised circulatory system. This talk will cover current research that is improving our understanding of how ergot alkaloids alter cell and tissue physiology that results in the compromised growth and reproduction observed at the whole animal level.