[in Japanese]

View full abstract

[in Japanese]

View full abstract

[in Japanese]

View full abstract

[in Japanese]

View full abstract

[in Japanese]

View full abstract

We have identified and determined the molecular structures of major glucosylceramides contained in the distillate of shochu, a traditional Japanese liquor produced from sweet potato. By electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) analysis, ion signals having m/z 736.0, 776.7, 778.6, and 763.9 were detected. In a product ion scanning to the precursor ion of m/z 736.0, an ion signal having m/z 574.5 corresponding to ceramide block, an ion signal having m/z 482.3 corresponding to glycosylsphingoid base block, an ion signal having m/z 320.2 corresponding to fatty acid and sphingoid base blocks, and an ion signal having m/z 203.0 corresponding to hexose were observed. Similarly, the precursor ions of m/z 776.7, 778.6, and 763.9 gave rise to the product ions of m/z 614.6, 496.4, 346.3 (to m/z 776.7), 496.3, 614.5, 346.3 (to m/z 778.6), and 482.3, 602.5, 348.3 (to m/z 763.9), respectively. These results were assigned to predicted fragment ions of monohexosylceramides (glucosylceramides), and ceramide moieties of the monohexosylceramides were interpreted as sphingadienine plus hydroxyhexadecanoic acid (d18:2-16h:0), methylsphingadienine plus hydroxyoctadecenoic acid (d18:2m-18h:1), methylsphingadienine plus hydroxyoctadecanoic acid (d18:2m-18h:0), and sphingadienine plus hydroxyoctadecanoic acid (d18:2-18h:0). This is the first report to identify and determine the structure of glucosylceramides contained in the distillate of shochu produced from sweet potato. These results indicate that shochu distillation remnants produced from sweet potato contain constituents of gluosylceramides similar to those from cereals such as barley and rice.

View full abstract