STARFISH SAPONINS .46. STEROIDAL GLYCOSIDES AND POLYHYDROXYSTEROIDS FROM THE STARFISH CULCITA-NOVAEGUINEAE

A reinvestigation of the extracts from the starfish Culcita novaeguineae has led to the isolation of eleven polyhydroxysteroidal glycosides and five polyhydroxysteroids. One of them has been identified with culcitoside C1 {2}, previously isolated from the same organism. Nine are known compounds previously found in starfishes, the majority having been isolated from the related species Halityle regularis. Six are new compounds and include one polyhydroxy-steroid 13 and five steroid diglycosides, designated culcitosides C4 {3}, C5 {4}, C6 {9}, C7 {10}, and C8 {14}. All compounds have been obtained in very small amounts, ranging from 9.2 to 2 mg from 3.8 kg of fresh organism. A second group of compounds isolated from Cu. novaeguineae consists of phosphorylglycerylethers.