Lanostane triol (holothurin group) isolated from triterpenic fraction of Holothuria floridana inhabiting in shallow waters of Cuban Archipelago

Holothurians (Echinodermata, Aspirochirotida, Holothuridae, Holothuria) are marine epibenthic organisms with a wide geographical distribution which are used for human consumption. They have an extraordinary variety of metabolites, specifically triterpenic glycosides of the holostane type (lanostane). The present work is intended to develop a preliminary chemical study of holothurians (sea cucumbers) that inhabit the shallow waters of the south-western marine insular platform of Cuba and report a preliminary structural detail of a triterpenic holostanic glycoside isolated from methanolic extracts of Holothuria floridana. A triterpene glycoside fraction was separated chromatographically on Amberlite and was isolated as a triterpene glycoside. Its structure has been deduced, from spectral analysis (NMR, FTIR) and chromogenic reactions. The compound is an open-chain, holost-Δ9,11-en-12α,17α,22ξ triol tetraoside, belonging to the group A of the holoturins, which possesses 3β-D-glucose, D-xylose, D-quinovose and 3-O-methyl-D-glucose as monosaccharide fragments.