A sophorolid produced by a method involving reacting a compound of formula I with a compound of formula II wherein R1 and R2 are H, C1-C18
alkyl, C3-C18 alkenyl, C3-C10 cycloalkyl, phenyl, or C1 through C18 acyl or alkoxycarbonyl, R1 and R2 are not both acyl, R3 is H, CH3, CH2-phenyl, CH2—C6H4—OH, CH2CO2H, CH2CH2CO2H, CH(CH3)2, CH2CH(CH3)2, CH(CH3)CH2CH3, CH2OH, CH(CH3)OH, CH2CH2CH2CH2NH2, CH2CH2CONH2, CH2CONH2, CH2—C3N2H3(
histidine), CH2CH2CH2NHC(NH)NH2, CH2CH2SCH3, R2 and R3 may be joined in a ring, R4 is H, C1-C18
alkyl, C3-C18 alkenyl, C3-C10 cycloalkyl, or phenyl, n is 0-6, R5 and R6 are H, C1-C18
alkyl, C3-C18 alkenyl, C3-C10 cycloalkyl, or phenyl, and X is C1-C18 alkyl or C1-C18 alkenyl; optionally followed by acidolytic (treating with an acid) or hydrogenolytic deprotection (treating with a
hydrogenolysis catalyst) which removes one of the groups R1 or R2 and replaces it with
hydrogen. Also a
sophorolipid containing composition containing a carrier and at least one
sophorolipid described above.