Ceramides from the Roots of Serratula chinensis

Abstract:

A mixture of five ceramides was isolated from the roots ofSerratula chinensis （Compositae）. The structures of these compounds were elucidated as （2S, 3S, 4R, 8E）-2-amino-8-octadecene-1, 3, 4-triol with five 2-hydroxy fatty acids of varying chain lengths （C₁₆, C_22-25） linked to the amino group （1a-1e, respectively）. Ceramide la was a new compound. The structures were established by spectroscopic and chemical means. The KMnO₄ oxidation method was applied to locate the double bond position in monounsaturated long chain bases.