Cerebrosides and a monoacylmonogalactosylglycerol from Clinacanthus nutans.

A mixture of nine cerebrosides and a monoacylmonogalactosylglycerol were separated from the leaves of Clinacanthus nutans. The structures of the cerebrosides were characterized as 1-O-beta-D-glucosides of phytosphingosines, which comprised a common long-chain base, (2S,3S,4R,8Z)-2-amino-8(Z)-octadecene-1,3,4-triol with nine 2-hydroxy fatty acids of varying chain lengths (C(16), C(18), C(20-26)) linked to the amino group. The glycosylglyceride was characterized as (2S)-1-O-linolenoyl-3-O-beta-D-galactopyranosylglycerol. The structures were established on the basis of the spectroscopic data and chemical reactions.