Abstract
1. The complex lipids were extracted from the muscle of a marine bivalve, Barnea (Umitakea) dilatata japonica with chloroform-methanol (2 : 1, vol/vol).
2. The lipids were treated mildly with diluted alkali and the alkaline stable lipids were fractionated on silicic acid column chromatography.
3. Sphingolipids were isolated and characterized as ceramide monohexoside (CMH) and ceramide 2-aminoethylphosphonate (CAEP). Sphingomyelin and ceramide 2-N-methylaminoethylphosphonate were not found in the alkaline stable lipids fraction.
4. CMH was composed of galactosyl ceramide which contained octadecasphingadienine as the main long chain bases and hexadecanoic acid as the main fatty acids.
5. Ceramide moiety of CAEP was mainly composed of hexadecanoic acid and octadecasphingadienine, and only 2-aminoathylphosphonic acid was detected in the water-soluble components of CAEP.
