Improved Extraction of the Neurotoxin of Stenocarpella maydis Using an Artificial Rumen.

Due to the low yield of diplonine obtained when isolated from Stenocarpella maydis (Berk.) Sutton (formerly Diplodia maydis (Berk.) Sacc., the present research was aimed to find a more efficient method of preparing diplonine to confirm its neurological effect on the target animal. This study demonstrated that using an artificial rumen for extraction instead of methanol may significantly improve the extraction of the neurotoxin. With this method, only 1/10th of an S. maydis culture was required to induce neurological disorders in guinea pigs than was needed to induce the neurological disorders with a methanol extract from the same culture, indicating a possible superiority of an artificial rumen extract compared to extraction with methanol. A comparable dosage of the artificial rumen extract also induced neurological disorders resembling diplodiosis in sheep.