Development of Component Analysis Methods for Glycolipid Biosurfactants, Sophorolipids, and New Finding of Unknown Sophorolipid Derivatives

Abstract

Sophorolipids (SLs) are promising glycolipid biosurfactants as they are readily produced and functional. SLs from microorganisms are comprised of mixtures of multiple derivatives that have different structures and properties, including well-known acidic and lactonic SLs (ASLs and LSLs, respectively). Here, we established a method for analyzing all SLs derivatives in the products of Starmerella bombicola, a typical SL-producing yeast. Detailed component analyses of S. bombicola products were carried out by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry using methanol as the eluent since it is a good solvent for all SL derivatives. With this approach, we succeeded in accurately quantifying the content of all SL derivatives, and found a variety of novel SL derivatives with structures different from conventional ASLs and LSLs.

graphical abstract