CONSTITUENTS OF HOLOTHUROIDEA, 6 - ISOLATION AND STRUCTURE OF BIOLOGICALLY-ACTIVE GLYCOSPHINGOLIPIDS FROM THE SEA-CUCUMBER CUCUMARIA-ECHINATA

Five cerebrosides, CE-1-1, CE-1-2, CE-1-3, CE-3-1, and CE-3-2, and a g anglioside molecular species CG-1 have been obtained from the less pol ar and polar fractions, respectively, of the chloroform/methanol extra ct of the sea cucumber Cucumaria echinata. The structures of these gly cosphingolipids have been determined on the basis of chemical and spec troscopic evidence. The cerebrosides show lethality toward brine shrim ps. On the other hand, the ganglioside CG-1 exhibits neuritogenic acti vity toward the rat pheochromocytoma cell line, PC-12 cells.