Cerebrosides from Marine Organisms

CAREAGA VALERIA; MAIER MARTA S.

Studies in Natural Products Chemistry

Elsevier

Lugar: Amsterdam; Año: 2014; p. 59 - 81

Glycosphingolipids (GSLs) are a large group of amphipathic molecules composed of a long-chain amino alcohol, known as a sphingoid base, a fatty acid residue linked to its amino group (this amide is called ceramide), and a carbohydrate chain attached to the primary hydroxyl group of the ceramide. Cerebrosides are neutral monohexosylceramides with a glucose or galactose unit as the sugar residue. Further additions of sugar units and sulfate groups give rise to a broad range of GSLs, such as sulfatides, globosides, ceramide oligohexosides, and gangliosides. In the marine environment, a large number of sphingolipids have been isolated from various organisms, including algae, sponges, sea anemones,echinoderms, soft Corals, and tunicates. In this review, we report on the advances of the research on gluco- and galactocerebrosides of marine invertebrates from 2003 to 2012. It includes published information on their isolation and structural elucidation by chemical and spectroscopic methods as well as evaluation of their biological activities.