A new cytotoxic ceramide from Heteroxenia ghardagensis and protective effect of chloroform extract against cadmium toxicity in rats

A new ceramide 2S,3R-4E,8E-2-(hexadecanoylamino)-docosa-4,8-diene-1,3-diol (1), along with two known ceramides, namely, 2S,3R-4E,8E-2-(octadecanoylamino)-octadeca -4,8-diene-1,3-diol (2) and 2S,3R-4E-2-(octadecanoylamino)-octadec-4-ene-l-ol (3) were isolated from the chloroform extract of the Egyptian Red Sea soft coral Heteroxenia ghardaqensis. Additionally, cholesterol, cholesterol-3 beta-acetate, 7 beta-hydroxy cholesterol, cosanyl octadecanoate, and hexadecanyl octadecanoate were also isolated. The isolated compounds were identified by spectroscopic methods involving 10, 2D-NMR and ESI-MS. The ceramides (1) and (2) showed moderate cytotoxic activity as growth inhibitors of human hept-G2 cancer cell lines. The protective action of the chloroform extract on cadmium-induced adrenal toxicity was observed by the decrease of the hydropic degeneration in the cortex and normal medulla. (C) 2014 The Authors. Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of King Saud University. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license.