Ergovalide, also known as lysergylvaline amide or as N-lysergylvalylamide, is an ergot alkaloid of the lysergamide family found in Claviceps purpurea (ergot).[1][2] It is said to constitute about 10 to 20% of the alkaloid content of ergot.[2] However, according to a secondary source, ergovalide is probably a chemical artifact arising from solvolyticcleavage of ergocristine (lysergylvalylphenylalanylproline) (which is a highly variable constituent but can constitute as much as 50% of alkaloids in ergot).[1][3] Ergovalide was first described in the scientific literature by A. N. Ban’kovskaya and colleagues in 1973.[1][2]
^Grusie T, Cowan V, Singh J, McKinnon J, Blakley B (25 April 2018). “Proportions of predominant Ergot alkaloids (Claviceps purpurea) detected in Western Canadian grains from 2014 to 2016”. World Mycotoxin Journal. 11 (2): 259–264. doi:10.3920/WMJ2017.2241. ISSN1875-0710. Ergocristine was the predominant alkaloid accounting for half of the total alkaloids in all grain types. This study documented that barley, rye, triticale and wheat collected across Western Canada had similar percentages of ergocornine (6±1%, P=0.201), ergocristine (48±2%, P=0.939), ergocryptine (17±2%, P=0.302) and ergosine (5±0.5%, P=0.239).