Agelasphins, novel antitumor and immunostimulatory cerebrosides from the marine sponge Agelas mauritianus

Article abstract of DOI:10.1016/S0040-4020(01)86991-X

New glycosphingolipids, named agelasphins (1-8), have been isolated by antitumor and immunostimulatory bioassay-guided purification from an extract of a marine sponge, Agelas mauritianus. Strongly active agents in agelasphins had characteristic α-galactosylceramide structures, the isolation of which from natural products has not previously been reported. The absolute configurations of agelasphins were elucidated by the total synthesis.