Structural characterization of a nonionic rhamnolipid from Burkholderia lata

Abstract

We present the isolation and structural characterization of a novel nonionic dirhamnolipid methyl ester produced by the bacterium Burkholderia lata. The structure and the absolute configuration of the isolated dirhamnolipid bearing a symmetrical C₁₄-C₁₄ methyl ester chain were thoroughly investigated through chemical degradation and spectroscopic methods including 1D and 2D NMR analysis, HR-ESI-TOF-MS, chiral GC-MS, and polarimetry. Our work represents the first mention in the literature of a rhamnolipid methyl ester from Burkholderia species.

Keywords: Biosurfactants; Burkholderia lata; Methyl ester; Nonionic rhamnolipids; Nuclear magnetic resonance; Structural characterization.