Abstract
Gas-liquid chromatography (GLC) analysis revealed a high content of very long chain fatty acids in the marine sponge Halichondria panicea from the coast of south Hokkaido, Japan. Three major components of the fatty acids were concentrated by argentation thin-layer chromatography (TLC) and reversed phase TLC. They were identified as demospongic acids, 5, 9-hexacosadienoic (26:2), 5, 9, 19-hexacosatrienoic (26:3), and 5, 9, 20-heptacosatrienoic acids (27:3) by gas chromatographic-mass spectrometry analysis of their picolinyl esters and GLC analysis of the oxidative ozonolysis products. The proportion of 5, 9, 20-27:3 (25.4%) in total fatty acids was much higher than that had been observed for other sponges. The contents of 5, 9-26:2 (10.0%) and 5, 9, 19-26:3 (7.2%) were comparable to those reported. All three demospongic acids were abunduntly found in the lipid classes of phosphatidylserines and phosphatidylethanolamines.
