Method of altering sphingolipid metabolism and detecting fumonisin ingestion and contamination

A method of treating a subject suffering from a neoplastic condition or toxicity associated with an alteration in sphingolipid metabolism comprising administering to the subject an effective amount of a fumonisin analog of the formula:

• wherein the spacer group is selected from the group consisting of straight chain or branched, C1-C20 alkyl, straight chain or branched C1-C20 hydroxyalkyl and straight chain or branched C1-C20 dihydroxyalkyl;
• Z is selected from the group consisting of H, O, NH, NQ, NQC(O), NHC(O), CO2, C(O), NH and C(O)NQ, wherein Q is straight chain or branched C1-C6 alkyl;
• W is selected from the group consisting of no substituent, H, straight chain or branched C1-C6 alkyl, phenyl or substituted phenyl aryl, C(O)(CH2)nCO2H wherein n=1-6, C(O)(CH2)n CW′2 CO2H, where W′ is selected independently from H, straight chain or branched C1-C6 alkyl, phenyl or substituted phenyl aryl, and (CH2)nCO2H, wherein n=1-6;
• X is selected from the group consisting of H, methyl, CH2OH and esters thereof, CH2NQ′2 (where Q′ is selected independently from H, straight chain or branched C1-C20 akyl, and acyl, wherein acyl is defined as C(O)Q″ where Q″ is straight chain or branched C1-C20 alkyl;
• and V and Y are independently selected from the group consisting of H or OH and esters thereof but not fumonisin B1, fumonisin B2, fumonisin B3, fumonisin B4 or AAL toxin.