Practical Synthesis of $\alpha$-Galactosyl Ceramide, KRN 7000.

Galactosyl ceramides paly important roles in biological system as immunomodulator and essential constituents of membranes and cell walls. An efficient synthesis of $\alpha$-galactosyl ceramide, KRN 7000, derived from marine sponge Agelas mauritianus as accomplished via a short reaction involving the coupling ceramide moiety and trichloroacetimidate as glycosylation donor. We could synthesize $\alpha$-galactosyl ceramide stereoselectivity without $\beta$-anomer formation on a multigram scale.