Minor steroidal glycosides from the far-east starfish Aphelasterias japonica

A new steroidal glycoside called aphelasteroside E was isolated from the Far-East starfish Aphelasterias japonica. Its structure was proposed as the sodium salt of 26-O-sulfate (25S)-3-O-D-xylopyranosyl-5 cholestan-3 ,5,6 ,15 ,26-pentaol. Two previously known asterosaponins were also isolated. The structures of the isolated compounds were elucidated using 2D NMR spectroscopy and tandem mass spectrometry with electrospray ionization (ESI).