Properties and Physiological Effects of Plant Cerebroside Species as Functional Lipids

The properties and physiological effects of plant cerebrosides were investigated. The major sphingoid bases of cerebrosides from soybean, maize, and rice bran were trans-4, cis or trans-8-sphingadienine. However, the major sphingoid bases in wheat and rye grains were 8-sphingenine mainly with the cis-configuration (more than 60%). The phase transition temperature of plant cerebrosides measured by differential scan calorimetric method was significant lower than that of bovine brain cerebroside. Plant cerebroside-derived compounds such as sphingoid bases induced apoptosis in human colon cancer cell lines. This result suggested that dietary plant cerebrosides have a potent physiological function similar to that of animal sphingolipids.