BIOLOGICALLY-ACTIVE GLYCOSIDES FROM ASTEROIDEA .37. GLYCOSPHINGOLIPIDS FROM THE STARFISH LUIDIA-MACULATA .1. STRUCTURE OF A NEW SULFATIDE MOLECULAR-SPECIES

A sulfatide molecular species [LMG-1 (1)] have been obtained from the water soluble lipid fraction of the chloroform/methanol extract of the starfish Luidia maculata. On the basis of chemical and spectroscopic findings, the structure of 1 has been elucidated. Negative FAB mass sp ectrometry provided important information both on the structure of the sugar moiety and on the molecular mass of the sulfatide. 1 is, to the authors' knowledge, new sulfatide molecular species and first sulfati de obtained from starfish. In addition, 1 shows neuritogenic activity toward the rat pheochromocytoma cell Line, PC-12 cell.