Panosialin (I), an enzyme inhibitor, has been shown to be a mixture of 5-alkylbenzene-1, 3-disulfates. The structures of the three major components are 5-isopentadecylbenzene-1, 3-disulfate (Ia), 5-n-pentadecylbenzene-1, 3-disulfate (Ib), and 5-isohexadecylbenzene-1, 3-disulfate (Ic). The 5-n-alkyl homologs including Ib have been synthesized.
