GM3 and GD3 are the major gangliosides of rat fetal intestine.

Gangliosides were extracted from intestine of rat fetuses on each day between 17 days of gestation and 1 day after birth. They were purified from the lipid extract by DEAE-Sephadex chromatography. Two major gangliosides are found at the earliest time: GD3 and GM3. Their contributions to the ganglioside content are, respectively, 48.2 and 33.7%. Between 19 days of gestation and birth, a 3.5-fold increase of the total ganglioside concentration is observed which is due to sharp rise of the GM3 concentration. In GD3 and GM3 of rat fetal intestine, sialic acid is exclusively N-acetylneuraminic acid and fatty acids are all non-hydroxylated.