Isolation and structure of a galactocerebroside from the sea cucumber bohadschia argus

Abstract

A galactocerebroside (BAC-4-4a) was obtained from its parent galactocerebroside molecular species (BAC-4) by using two types of reversed-phase HPLC column. The parent cerebroside BAC-4 has been isolated from less polar lipid fraction of CHCl3/MeOH extract of sea cucumber Bohadschia argus, together with known typical types of glucocerebroside molecular species. The structure of BAC-4-4a was determined on the basis of chemical and spectroscopic evidences as 1-O-(β-D-galactopyranosyl)-(25,3R, 4,E)-2[(2′R,15′Z)-2-hydroxytetracosenoyl-amino]-4-heptadecene-1, 3-diol. This is the first report of isolation and structure determination of galactocerebro-side from sea cucumber. © 2009 Pharmaceutical Society of Japan.