Asterosaponins, a group of steroid oligoglycosides containing a 3b,6a-dihyroxysteroid aglycone with a 9(11)-double bond, a sulfate group at C-3 and a carbohydrate chain containing five or six sugar units attached to C-6 of the aglycone
found to possess strong hemolytic and ichthyologic properties which are considered to defend starfish against predatory
fish (e.g. structure 36).