Isolation and Characterization of a Neutral Glycosphingolipid from the Epimastigote Form of Trypanosoma mega1

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Abstract
A glycosphingolipid fraction from Trypanosoma mega was isolated after acetylation and was further purified on a silicic acid column. Final purification was by preparative thin‐layer chromatography. The carbohydrate components of the glycolipid were fucose and galactose in approximately equimolar amounts. The neutral glycolipid of T. mega has a sphingosine base composition that consists of sphingosine and traces of dihydrosphingosine. Fatty acids forming amide groups with the sphingosine bases were analyzed by gas‐liquid chromatography‐mass spectrometry and are a mixture of normal and α‐hydroxy fatty acids. Normal C16:0, C18:0, and 2‐hydroxy C18:0 are the predominant fatty acids.