METHOD OF MAKING THE ERGOT-ALCALOID

Rye ergot alkaloids (I) (where R is isopropyl, sec. or isobutyl; including salts and mixts. are prepd. (A) of epimerisation of corresp. C-8-epimers of formula (II) in presence of acid and organic solvents; (B) by sepn. of ergot alkaloids (I), and opt. (II), from mixt. contg. in addn. alkaloids of ergotamine gp. and/or ergoxine gp. and opt. epimerising (II). In the process, (a) in the epimerisation of (II), opt. contg. (I), and in the epimerisation and sepn. of mixt. contg. (I) and (II) and also ergotamine and/or ergoxine gp. alkaloids the mixt. of alkaloids is treated in presence of water and organic solvents, (a1) by phosphoric acid or mixt. of acid phosphate or tartrate or tartaric acid and another acid, followed by removal of solvent and leaving opt. concd. reaction mixt. at pH 1.8-4 and sepg. (I), pptd. as its salts and conversion to base; or (a2) by treating in phosphoric acid or tartaric acid, eliminating solvent, adjusting pH to 1.8-3.5 and pptg. (I) as salt and opt. liberating free base, or (a21) the first mother liquor is obtd. by sepn. of the salts which is adjusted to pH 5.5-10, (5.5-7), and pptd. (II), opt. contg. (I), ergotamine and/or ergoxine cpds., are isolated and treated by variant (a1) or (a22) pH of first mother liquors obtd. by sepn. of salts is adjusted to pH 1.9-4.0, esp. 2.1-4.0 to ppte. ther ergoxine gp.; then pH of 2nd mother liquors is adjusted to 2.5-5.5 (3.5-5.5), and pptd. ergotamine alkaloids are removed, third mother liquors contg. mostly alkaloids (II) may then be treated as in (a1). (b)For sepn. of.