Kreps E M, Chirkovskaia E V, Pomazanskaia L F, Avrova N F, Levitina M V
Zh Evol Biokhim Fiziol. 1979 May-Jun;15(3):227-38.
Studies have been made on the brain lipids of the 6--7-month mammoth which remained in the eternal ice for more than 40.000 years. Thin layer chromatography of chloroformmethanol extract of the brain lipids shows that all glycerophospholipids in the brain were destroyed. On the contrary, sphingophospholipid sphingomyelin yielded the evident spot which was identified by specific reactions and by comparison with sphingomyelin from the brain of rat. Sphingomyelin content was evaluated. Using gas-liquid chromatography, fatty acid composition of sphingomyelin was investigated. It was found to be close to that in contemporary mammals. Other shingolipids -- cerebrosides, sulfatides, gangliosides -- persisted (probably, only partially) and were studied quantitatively. Relative content of cerebrosides with normal fatty acids and hydrooxyacids was determined. Studies were also made on fatty acid composition of cerebrosides, sulfatides and gangliosides, as well as on the composition of spingosine bases of gangliosides. Free cholesterol was found in the brain of the mammoth. Other sterols were not detected. With respect to quantitative evaluation of the preserved lipids, it should be mentioned that on the one hand, the brain underwent dehydration which increased lipid content per a unit of "wet" weight, whereas on the other one lipids were partially degraded, this process decreasing their content.
对保存在万年冰中达4万多年的6至7个月大猛犸象的脑脂质进行了研究。脑脂质的氯仿 - 甲醇提取物的薄层色谱分析表明，脑中所有甘油磷脂均已被破坏。相反，鞘磷脂产生了明显的斑点，通过特定反应并与大鼠脑内的鞘磷脂比较得以鉴定。对鞘磷脂含量进行了评估。利用气液色谱法研究了鞘磷脂的脂肪酸组成。发现其与当代哺乳动物的脂肪酸组成相近。其他鞘脂类——脑苷脂、硫脂、神经节苷脂——仍然存在（可能只是部分存在）并进行了定量研究。测定了含正常脂肪酸和羟基酸的脑苷脂的相对含量。还对脑苷脂、硫脂和神经节苷脂的脂肪酸组成以及神经节苷脂的鞘氨醇碱基组成进行了研究。在猛犸象的脑中发现了游离胆固醇。未检测到其他固醇类物质。关于对保存下来的脂质进行定量评估，应该指出的是，一方面，大脑经历了脱水过程，这使得每单位“湿”重中的脂质含量增加；而另一方面，脂质部分降解，这一过程使其含量降低。
