STARFISH SAPONINS .2. STEROIDAL OLIGOGLYCOSIDES FROM THE STARFISH COSMASTERIAS-LURIDA

Four new sulfated asterosaponins, designated as cosmasterosides A [1], B [2], C [4], and D [5], have been isolated from the Atlantic starfish Cosmasterias lurida along with large amounts of the pentaglycoside ophidianoside F [3] and the minor component forbeside H [6], previously isolated from Ophidiaster ophidianus and Asterias forbesi, respectively. Cosmasteroside A [1] contains the same oligosaccharide chain as ophidianoside F [3] and a (20S)-5 alpha-cholesta-9(11),24-diene-3 beta,6 alpha,20-triol-3 beta-sulfated aglycone. Cosmasterosides B [2], C [4], and D [5] are based on the known aglycone, thornasterol A, and differ in the number and type of monosaccharide components of the carbohydrate chain. Cosmasteroside B [2] contains a novel oligosaccharide chain that differs from that of ophidianoside F [3] by the replacement of the quinovose unit attached to C-6 of the steroidal aglycone by glucose. The tetraglycosides cosmasterosides C [4] and D [5] are structurally related to ophidianoside F [3] and cosmasteroside B [2], respectively, by the loss of a terminal fucose unit.