New cerebrosides from Euphorbia peplis L.: antimicrobial activity evaluation.

Abstract The less polar fraction of the methanolic extract from the plant Euphorbia peplis L. exhibited interesting antifungal and antitubercular activity. A complex mixture of four glucocerebrosides was responsible for this activity. Two new cerebrosides were isolated for the first time from Euphorbiaceae, 4 was assigned as 1- O -(β- d -glucopyranosyl)-(2 S ,3 S ,4 E ,8 E )-2 N -[(2′ R )-2′-hydroxy-hexadecanoyl]-4 ( E ), 8 ( E )-octadecadiene-1,3-diol and 3 as the 1- O -(β- d -glucopyranosyl)-(2 S ,3 S ,4 R ,8 Z )-2 N -[(2′ R )-2′-hydroxytetracosanoyl]-8 ( Z )-octadecene-1,3,4-triol. The structures were determined on the basis of chemical and spectroscopic evidences. Mass spectrometry of dimethyl disulfide derivatives was useful for the determination of the double-bond positions in the long-chain bases.