The retarded rate of acid-catalyzed solvolysis of glycoside bonds between reducing-end glucose residue and ceramide in glycosphingolipids compared with that of glycoside bonds between hexopyranosides

Rates of acid-catalyzed solvolysis of glycoside bonds in glycosphingolipids were compared to establish a basis for conducting saccharide analysis. Permethylated globotetraosylceramide and asialogangliotriaosylceramide as model compounds for methylation and sugar composition analysis, respectively, were solvolyzed under acidic conditions and the sugar components thus obtained were determined at specified times by gas liquid chromatography, after they had been derivatized. Reducing-end glucose residues in both compounds were liberated more slowly than other sugar residues. Glycoside bonds between reducing-end glucose and ceramide in glycosphingolipids would thus appear to be more resistant towards acid-catalysed solvolysis than other glycoside bonds between hexopyranosides.