A 2-amino-1,3-propanediol compound of having the formula ##STR437## wherein Ra is a straight- or branched chain alkyl having 12 to 22 carbon atoms, which may have, in the chain, a bond or a hetero atom selected from the group consisting of a double bond, a triple bond, oxygen, sulfur, sulfinyl, sulfonyl, --N(R.sup.6)-- where R.sup.6 is hydrogen, alkyl, aralkyl, acyl or alkoxycarbonyl, and carbonyl, and which may have, as a substituent, alkoxy, alkenyloxy, alkynyloxy, aralkyloxy, acyl, alkylamino, alkylthio, acylamino, alkoxycarbonyl, alkoxycarbonylamino, acyloxy, alkylcarbamoyl, nitro, halogen, amino, hydroxyimino, hydroxy or carboxy, and
- R.sup.2 b, R.sup.3 b, R.sup.4 b and R.sup.5 b are the same or different and each is a hydrogen, an alkyl or an acyl;
- or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.