Structure of Ovarian Asterosaponin-4, An Inhibitor of Spontaneous Oocyte Maturation from the Starfish Asterias Amurensis

Abstract

The ovary of the starfish Asterias amurensis contains various kinds of steroidal saponins. The structure of one of the major saponins, designated ovarian asterosaponin-4, was elucidated by several chemical modifications and spectroscopic analyses. The structure was formulated as 20α-hydroxy-6α-O-{6-deoxy-β-D-glucopyranosyl(l→2)-β-D-glucopyranosyl(l→4)-[6-deoxy-β-D-glucopyranosyl (1→2)]-β-D-xylopyranosyl(l→3)-6-deoxy-β-D-gluco-pyranosyl)-3β-sulfo-oxy-5α-cholesta-9(11),24-diene. Ovarian asterosaponin-4 at 125μg/ml inhibited spontaneous oocyte maturation of the starfish, and the inhibition could be overcome by adding 1×10~6m of 1-methyladenine, the maturation-inducing substance of the starfishes, to the oocyte. © 1985, Japan Society for Bioscience, Biotechnology, and Agrochemistry. All rights reserved.