Separation of ergot alkaloids by adsorption on silicates

A mixture of ergot alkaloids (agroclavine, elymoclavine, chanoclavine, and chanoclavine aldehyde) was separated from the Claviceps purpureafermentation broth by adsorption on inorganic adsorbents containing silica. The uptake of alkaloids depended on the concentration of adsorbent and pH. The adsorption capacity for of inorganic materials increased with increasing content of inorganic oxides such as MgO and CaO in the adsorbent. Using statistical thermodynamics, a simple mathematical model describing the multicomponent adsorption equilibrium is proposed and a numerical method suitable for fast computer simulation of multicomponent adsorption was developed.