Gas chromatographic/mass spectrometric evidence for the identification of a heptitol and an octitol in human and Octodon degu eye lenses.

Gas chromatographic analysis of alditols obtained from post-mortem human and South American rodent Octodon degu eye lenses indicated the presence of two high molecular weight, late eluting components which could not be identified. Thus, the samples were subjected to gas chromatographic/mass spectrometric analysis under both electron impact and chemical ionization conditions. The data obtained from these analyses indicate that both human and Octodon degu lenses contain a heptitol and an octitol, sugars which have not previously been reported to be present in any animal tissue.