Abstract
1. 1. The free, esterified and sulphated sterols from the sea cucumber Psolus fabricii were isolated and identified. 2. 2. The major free sterol (60–70%) was identified as 14α-methyl-5α-cholest-9(11)-en-3β-ol. It was accompanied by smaller amounts of C 27, C 28 and C 29 Δ 0- and Δ 7-sterols. 3. 3. The esterified sterols had a similar composition to the free sterols except that they contained significantly more cholest-5-en-3β-ol. 4. 4. The steryl sulphates had a very different composition from the free sterols. 14α-Methyl-5α-cholest-9(11)-en-3β-ol comprised only 10% of the mixture. 5α-Cholestan-3β-ol was the major compound (56%) accompanied by other C 27, C 28, C 29, Δ 0 and Δ 5-sterols. 5. 5. The main 4α-monomethyl sterol was identified as 4α,14α-dimethyl-5α-cholest-9(11)-en-3β-ol while trace quantities of 5α-lanost-9(11)-en-3β-ol and 5α-lanosta-9(11),24-dien-3β-ol were tentatively identified. 6. 6. The occurrence of the series of Δ 9(11) -sterols in P. fabricii is discussed in relation to sterol and holothurin biosynthesis.
Published Version
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