DEMOSPONGIC ACIDS OF THE MARINE SPONGE HALICHONDRIA-PANICEA FROM THE COAST OF HOKKAIDO, JAPAN

Gas-liquid chromatography (GLC) analysis revealed a high content of ve ry long chain fatty acids in the marine sponge Halichondria panicea fr om the coast of south Hokkaido, Japan. Three major components of the f atty acids were concentrated by argentation thin-layer chromatography (TLC) and reversed phase TLC. They were identified as demospongic acid s, 5,9-hexacosadienoic (26:2), 5,9,19-hexacosatrienoic (26:3), and 5,9 ,20-heptacosatrienoic acids (27:3) by gas chromatographic-mass spectro metry analysis of their picolinyl esters and GLC analysis of the oxida tive ozonolysis products. The proportion of 5,9,20-27:3 (25.4%) in tot al fatty acids was much higher than that had been observed for other s ponges. The contents of 5,9-26:2 (10.0%) and 5,9,19-26:3 (7.2%) were c omparable to those reported. All three demospongic acids were abundunt ly found in the lipid classes of phosphatidylserines and phosphatidyle thanolamines.