Structural analysis of ceramide-amino-ethyl-phosphonate in edible mediterranean cephalopods

Sphingophosphonolipids (SPnLs) were isolated from the mantle of 3 kinds of cephalopod molluscs(Eledone moschata, Sepia officinalis, Todarodes sagittatus) of the Aegean Sea. Their structures were confirmed by a series of chemical and analytical methods such as gas chromatography, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and electrospray mass spectrometry. They were identified as ceramide aminoethylphosphonate species. According to the phosphonate-phosphorus determination, ceramide aminoethylphosphonate components were found to represent 15.9, 10.0 and 9.2% of total phospholipids, respectively. The long-chain bases (LCB) are C16-C22 dihydroxy monoenoic and dienoic bases. The component fatty acids are mainly palmitic acid (C16:0), stearic acid (C18:0) and oleic acid (C18:1 n-9)) and in smaller quantities eicosaenoic acid (C20:1 n-9), eicosapentaenoic acid (C20:5 n-3) and docosahexaenoic acid (C22:6 n-3). It is of great interest that Sepia officinalis was found to contain ceramide N-methylaminoethylphosphonate as minor phosphonolipid species