RT Journal Article SR Electronic(1) A1 Banks, G. T. A1 Mantle, P. G. A1 Szczyrbak, Christine A.YR 1974 T1 Large-scale Production of Clavine Alkaloids by Claviceps fusiformis JF Microbiology, VO 82 IS 2 SP 345 OP 361 DO https://doi.org/10.1099/00221287-82-2-345 PB Microbiology Society, SN 1465-2080, AB SUMMARY: A strain of Claviceps fusiformis produced clavine alkaloid (principally agroclavine) in yields of 4 mg/ml within 6 days when grown in a sucrose-ammonium sulphate-inorganic salts medium in 400 l stirred fermenters. Alkaloid accumulated rapidly during the growth phase, most of the synthesis coinciding with a mycelial growth form consisting of plectenchymatic hyphae, the cells of which resembled the constituent cells of naturally occurring C. fusiformis sclerotia. The broth was rendered low in glucan by the activity of a α-glucanase and this, together with increased fermenter shaft speed, ensured that oxygen supply was not limiting throughout the fermentation. Alkaloid was extracted efficiently from the glucan- free culture filtrate by a solvent extraction procedure involving sequential transfer of the product into n-butanol, aqueous tartaric acid and chloroform, followed by crystallization from acetone. Improved alkaloid yield (6 mg/ml) was obtained by using a modified medium containing increased concentrations of magnesium sulphate, zinc sulphate and potassium dihydrogen orthophosphate, in a 400 l multi-stage fermentation., UL https://www.microbiologyresearch.org/content/journal/micro/10.1099/00221287-82-2-345