Free and Sulfated Sterols of Two Far-East Leptasterias Starfish

NMR spectroscopy, capillary GLC, and GLC-MS are used to study the composition of free and sulfated sterols from the far-east starfishLeptasterias alaskensis asiatica(Fischer) andL. Fisheri(Djakonov). The total free sterols of both species are shown to have similar qualitative and quantitative compositions and contain mainly⁷ -sterols. Sterol sulfate fractions contain cholesterol sulfate as the main component but differ in the ratios of⁵ :⁰ :⁷ -sterol derivatives. Possible reasons for these differences are discussed. A new steroid, 3-hydroxycholest-5-en-7-one sulfate, was isolated.