Search

The lower lignin content in plants species with energy potential results in easier cellulose breakdown, making glucose available for ethanol generation. However, higher lignin levels can increase resistance to insect attack. The objective of this work was to evaluate the susceptibility of a bmr-6 biomass sorghum (a mutant genotype with a lower concentration of lignin) to important pests of energy sorghum, Diatraea saccharalis and Spodoptera frugiperda. Experiments were performed in the laboratory and greenhouse to evaluate the development of these pests on the biomass sorghum bmr hybrids BR007, BR008, and TX635 and their respective conventional near-isogenic genotypes (without the bmr gene). The lignin content was higher in non-bmr hybrids, but the evaluated insect variables varied between treatments, not being consistent in just one hybrid or because it is bmr or not. The lowest survival of S. frugiperda was observed in the BR008 hybrid, both bmr and non-bmr. The S. frugiperda injury scores on plants in the greenhouse were high (>7) in all treatments. For D. saccharalis, there was no difference in larval survival in the laboratory, but in the greenhouse, the BR007 hybrid, both bmr and non-bmr, provided greater survival. Due the need to diversify the energy matrix and the fact that greater susceptibility of the bmr hybrids to either pests was not found in this study, these results hold promise for cultivation of these biomass sorghum hybrids for the production of biofuels. Resumo O menor teor de lignina em espécies de plantas com potencial energético resulta na maior facilidade de quebra da celulose, disponibilizando glicose para geração de etanol. Porém, maiores teores de lignina representa um fator de resistência ao ataque de insetos. O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar como importantes pragas do sorgo energia, Diatraea saccharalis e Spodoptera frugiperda, se comportam quanto à alimentação e desempenho em sorgo bmr-6, um genótipo mutante com menor concentração de lignina. Foram realizados experimentos em laboratório e casa de vegetação, avaliando o desenvolvimento destas pragas nos híbridos de sorgo biomassa bmr 007, 008, TX635 e seus respectivos genótipos isogênicos convencionais (sem o gene bmr). O teor de lignina foi maior nos híbridos não bmr, mas nos parâmetros avaliados nos insetos, houve variação entre os tratamentos, não sendo consistente em apenas um híbrido e nem por ser ou não bmr. A menor sobrevivência de S. frugiperda foi verificada no híbrido BR008 tanto bmr quanto não bmr. As notas de injúria por S. frugiperda no sorgo em casa de vegetação foram altas (>7) em todos os tratamentos. Para D. saccharalis, não houve diferença significativa para a sobrevivência larval em laboratório, mas em casa de vegetação o híbrido BR007 tanto bmr quanto não bmr proporcionaram maior sobrevivência. Diante da necessidade de diversificar a matriz energética e o fato de que não foi comprovada neste estudo maior suscetibilidade dos híbridos bmr a ambas as pragas, estes resultados são promissores para o cultivo desses híbridos de sorgo biomassa para produção de biocombustíveis.

Sulfation of wheat straw soda lignin by the sulfamic acid–urea mixture in different solvents has been investigated for the first time. The effect of a catalyst used in the lignin sulfation process on the yield of the lignin sulfates and sulfur content in them has been explored. It has been found that the optimal medium for the lignin sulfation with sulfamic acid is dioxane and, in the presence of a catalyst, urea. Although the sulfated lignins obtained using the reaction in dimethyl sulfoxide and diglyme have the maximum sulfur contents (11.2% and 9.9%, respectively), these products are difficult to isolate and purify, which complicates the use of these solvents. Sulfated lignin obtained in the dioxane medium has a high (10.1%) sulfur content and is easy to isolate and purify. The incorporation of sulfate groups into the lignin structure has been confirmed by the infrared and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy investigations. In the infrared spectra of sulfated lignin, characteristic absorption bands at 800–860 and 1260–1200 cm−1 appear. The dominant substitution of aliphatic hydroxyl groups has been confirmed by the nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy study. It has been found that, during the modification and purification of lignin, the latter is fractionated, which results in the redistribution of molecular weights toward the high molecular-weight region, as well as the removal of some low-molecular-weight components, which is reflected in a decrease in the number of signals in the nuclear magnetic resonance spectra.

Background: Synthetic polymers present disadvantages such as high cost, limited availability, safety concerns, environmental hazards and overtime accumulation in body. Lignin, an aromatic biopolymer, is highly abundant and offers various advantages including cost effectiveness, biocompatibility and biodegradability. It also possesses various pharmacological activities including antioxidant, antibacterial, anticancer and UV protection, thus lignin has become a popular biopolymer in recent years and is no more considered as bio-waste rather an extensive research is been carried out on developing it as drug carrier. Lignin also has non-biomedical applications including dispersing agents, surfactants, detergent/cleaning agents, energy storage, etc. Methods: This review compiles patents granted on production of technical lignin, different lignin therapeutic carriers and its biomedical and non-biomedical applications. The literature is collected from recent years including both articles as well as patents and is carefully analyzed and compiled in an easy to comprehend pattern for guiding future research. Results: The reviewed patents and articles highlighted the advancement made in lignin isolation and valorization. Numerous lignin nanoformulations as drug delivery agents or as standalone entities with various pharmacological actions like antibacterial, antioxidant or UV protectant have been reported. As well as industrial applications of lignin as adhesives, insulators or supercapacitors have also made lignin a biopolymer of choice. Conclusion: Lignin being a bio-inspired polymer has huge potential in commercial applications. New methods of lignin isolation from lignocellulosic biomass including physical pretreatments, solvent fraction, and chemical and biological pretreatment have been widely patented. Several micro/nano lignin formulations with improved and controllable reactivity like nanocontainers, nanocapsules, nanoparticles have also been reported recently. Also various pharmacological properties of lignin have also been explored, thus valorization of lignin is a hot topic of hour.

Micro- and Nano-Fibrillated Cellulose (MNFCs) have gained an increasing attention due to their remarkable properties but their production usually requires an intensive multi-step process. This study proposes to find a novel approach involving steam explosion for the production of lignin-containing micro- and nano-fibrillated cellulose (L-MNFCs) using Eucalyptus globulus bark as a new lignocellulosic feedstock. Eucalyptus globulus bark was first pre-treated in alkali conditions by steam explosion in alkaline conditions (200°C, 8 min) or by conventional alkaline cooking in a rotating autoclave (170°C, 60 min), refined and then grinded until the formation of gels. The chemical composition (Ionic chromatography, FTIR-ATR) of the pulps and morphology of the products (Morfi Neo, Optical and Atomic Force Microscopies (AFM), suspension turbidity) have been studied. Nanopapers were produced from lignin-containing microfibrils to investigate the mechanical properties. Results obtained showed that steam explosion produced pulps with slightly higher lignin content (≈ 9 %), containing shorter fibers (≈ 400 µm) and higher amounts of fine elements (≈ 86 %) compared to conventional alkali cooking (≈ 5 %, ≈ 560 µm and 66 %, respectively). AFM images of SteamEx L-MNFC gels showed a web-like structure containing lignin nanoparticles.

In this study, the development of lignin-based resins for wood adhesion applications was demonstrated. We investigated two lignin fractions: commercial Protobind 1000 lignin and methanol-soluble Protobind 1000 lignin fraction after mild solvolysis. Although lignin has previously been incorporated into various cross-linked systems, this is the first report on lignin-based thermosets obtained via thiol–yne “click” chemistry. In this approach, lignin was functionalized with terminal alkyne groups followed by cross-linking with a multifunctional thiol, resulting in polymeric network formation. The influence of the curing conditions on the resin characteristics and performance was studied, by varying the amount of reactive monomeric diluents. Additionally, a post-curing strategy utilizing the Claisen rearrangement was investigated. These resins were tested as a wood adhesive and were proven to possess a desirable performance, comparable to the state-of-art phenol-formaldehyde resins. Lignin-based thiol–yne resins turn out to be an alternative to phenol-formaldehyde resins, currently used as adhesives and coatings. Although it is possible to use lignin in phenol-formaldehyde resins, lignin addition is compromising the resin’s performance. The main benefits over the phenol-formaldehyde approach are that higher lignin loadings are possible to achieve, and no volatiles are emitted during the resin processing and use.

This work reports the preparation of nano lignin-rich fraction material via green technology from the holistic use of lignocellulosic biomass bamboo. The bamboo is first chemically treated, followed by acid precipitation to extract bamboo-derived macro lignin-rich fraction material. The nano lignin-rich fraction material was then prepared via ultrasonication technique from the extracted bamboo-derived macro lignin-rich fraction material. The confirmation of the distinct lignin functional groups in the extracted lignin-rich fractions has been done by FTIR. Surface morphology by FESEM and TEM revealed spherical nano-lignin-rich fraction materials from extracted bamboo-derived macro lignin-rich fraction materials. DPPH assays indicated that both the obtained fractions depict beneficial antioxidant characteristics. They were found to be effective in terms of their antibacterial activity against both gram-positive bacteria Staphylococcus aureus (S.aureus) and gram-negative bacteria Escherichia coli (E.coli), using the disc diffusion method. These fractions have UV blocking property, and nano-lignin-rich fraction material acts as a more potential UV blocking agent than others. Thus, the nano-lignin-rich fraction material has great potential as a high antioxidant, antibacterial, and UV blocking agent useful in biomedical applications. HighlightsExtraction of macro-lignin rich fraction material using chemical treatment of lignocellulosic biomass bamboo via refluxing followed by acid precipitation.Preparation of nano-lignin rich fraction material from extracted bamboo-derived macro-lignin rich fraction material via ultrasonication technique as a green technology.Structural and surface morphology of the extracted macro-lignin & nano lignin-rich fraction materials have been analyzed by XRD, FTIR, EDX, SEM and TEM.The macro lignin & nano lignin-rich fraction materials showed good antioxidant, antibacterial activity and UV-blocking properties, but the nano-lignin rich fraction material exhibited more efficient properties. Extraction of macro-lignin rich fraction material using chemical treatment of lignocellulosic biomass bamboo via refluxing followed by acid precipitation. Preparation of nano-lignin rich fraction material from extracted bamboo-derived macro-lignin rich fraction material via ultrasonication technique as a green technology. Structural and surface morphology of the extracted macro-lignin & nano lignin-rich fraction materials have been analyzed by XRD, FTIR, EDX, SEM and TEM. The macro lignin & nano lignin-rich fraction materials showed good antioxidant, antibacterial activity and UV-blocking properties, but the nano-lignin rich fraction material exhibited more efficient properties.

Lignin is the most recalcitrant of the three components of lignocellulosic biomass. The strength and stability of the linkages have long been a great challenge for the degradation and valorization of lignin biomass to obtain bio-fuels and commercial chemicals. Up to now, the selective cleavage of C–O linkages of lignin to afford chemicals contains only C, H and O atoms. Our group has developed a cleavage/cross-coupling strategy for converting 4-O-5 linkage lignin model compounds into high value-added compounds. Herein, we present a palladium-catalyzed cleavage/cross-coupling of the β-O-4 lignin model compounds with amines via dual C–O bond cleavage for the preparation of benzyl amine compounds and phenols.

The research is connected with the solving the problem of rational utilization of agricultural residues by the creation of resource-saving method for their efficient conversion into value-added products. Wheat straw was used in this work in chemical processing. Treatment was carried out with the application of formic/acetic acid mixture. Thus, cellulosic pulp was obtained. The spent solution was used to precipitate lignin. The structure of lignin was investigated. The results indicated that formic/acetic acid treatment was quite effective in isolating cellulose from wheat straw and in recovering lignin. Wheat cellulose is a promising fibrous material for the application in paper industry. Wheat lignin can be considered as a material for biosorbent preparation.

Lignin biosynthesis in the sclerenchyma cells is strictly controlled by a complex network of genetic and environmental signals. In the last decades, the transcriptional regulation of lignin synthesis in woody species has been established. However, the role of microRNA-mediated post-transcriptional modulation in secondary cell wall biosynthesis remains poorly understood. Here, we identified a microRNA, miR828, involved in the regulation specific to lignin biosynthesis during stem development in Populus tomentosa Carr. miR828 is preferentially expressed in the secondary vascular tissues during stem development. Two MYB genes (MYB171 and MYB011) were validated as direct targets of miR828 by degradome analysis and green fluorescent protein signal detection. Overexpression of miR828 in poplar downregulated genes for lignin biosynthesis, resulting in reduced lignin content in cell walls. Conversely, suppression of miR828 in plants by the short tandem target mimics elevated the expression of lignin biosynthetic genes and increased lignin deposition. We further revealed that poplar MYB171, as the most abundant miR828 target in the stem, is a positive regulator for lignin biosynthesis. Transient expression assays showed that both MYB171 and MYB011 activated PAL1 and CCR2 transcription, whereas the introduction of miR828 significantly suppressed their expression that was induced by MYB171 or MYB011. Collectively, our results demonstrate that the miR828-MYBs module precisely regulates lignin biosynthesis during the stem development in P. tomentosa through transcriptional and post-transcriptional manners.

Lignin is a versatile biomass that possesses many different desirable properties such as antioxidant, antibacterial, anti-UV, and good biocompatibility. Natural lignin can be processed through several chemical processes. The processed lignin can be modified into functionalized lignin through chemical modifications to develop and enhance biomaterials. Thus, lignin is one of the prime candidate for various biomaterial applications such as drug and gene delivery, biosensors, bioimaging, 3D printing, tissue engineering, and dietary supplement additive. This review presents the potential of developing and utilizing lignin in the outlook of new and sustainable biomaterials. Thereafter, we also discuss on the challenges and outlook of utilizing lignin as a biomaterial., Graphical abstract Image 1, Highlights • Lignin's antioxidant, antibacterial, anti-UV and biocompatibility properties can be harnessed. • Modification and functionalization of lignin allows synthesis of enhanced biomaterials. • Biomedical applications of lignin-derived biomaterials include drug and gene delivery, biosensors, and tissue engineering.

The valorization of lignin is critical to establishing sustainable biorefineries as we transition away from petroleum-derived feedstocks. Advances in lignin fractionation and depolymerization are yielding new opportunities for the biocatalytic upgrading of lignin-derived aromatic compounds (LDACs) using microbial cell factories. Given their roles in lignin metabolism and their catalytic versatility, cytochromes P450 are attractive enzymes in engineering such biocatalysts. Here we highlight P450s that catalyze aromatic O-demethylation, a rate-limiting step in the conversion of LDACs to valuable chemicals, including efforts to engineer the specificity of these enzymes and to use them in developing biocatalysts. We also discuss broader opportunities at the intersection of biochemistry, structure-guided enzyme engineering, and metabolic engineering for application of P450s in the emerging area of microbial lignin valorization.

Secondary cell walls (SCWs) in stem xylem vessel and fibre cells enable plants to withstand the enormous compressive forces associated with upright growth. It remains unclear if xylem vessel and fibre cells can directly sense mechanical stimuli and modify their SCW during development. We provide evidence that Arabidopsis SCW-specific Fasciclin-Like Arabinogalactan-proteins 11 (FLA11) and 12 (FLA12) are possible cell surface sensors regulating SCW development in response to mechanical stimuli. Plants overexpressing FLA11 (OE-FLA11) showed earlier SCW development compared to the wild-type (WT) and altered SCW properties that phenocopy WT plants under compression stress. By contrast, OE-FLA12 stems showed higher cellulose content compared to WT plants, similar to plants experiencing tensile stress. fla11, OE-FLA11, fla12, and OE-FLA12 plants showed altered SCW responses to mechanical stress compared to the WT. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and RNA-seq analysis revealed the up-regulation of genes and pathways involved in stress responses and SCW synthesis and regulation. Analysis of OE-FLA11 nst1 nst3 plants suggests that FLA11 regulation of SCWs is reliant on classical transcriptional networks. Our data support the involvement of FLA11 and FLA12 in SCW sensing complexes to fine-tune both the initiation of SCW development and the balance of lignin and cellulose synthesis/deposition in SCWs during development and in response to mechanical stimuli.

In this work it was used extracted lignin from oil palm empty fruit bunch by kraft delignification process as environmentally friendly photo-stabilizer of Poly (vinyl chloride) thin films. Up to date writing this paper, nobody has used this type of extracted lignin as PVC photo-stabilizer. Therefor this significant application was exhibited in this study by utilizing lignin as eco-friendly photo-stabilizer of PVC. Many approaches have been applied to test the efficiency of it as natural additive of PVC. Infrared spectra shows the growing of two specific bands during irradiation belong to carbonyl (C O) and alkene (C C) groups due to the photo-degradation. It was demonstrated that using lignin inhibits the formation of these two peaks substantially and stabilize the polymer. Various other experiments were done such as weight loss percentage, average molecular weight and surface study by AFM and SEM. All the results were in agreements and proved that lignin could be used as an excellent photo-stabilizer of PVC. Moreover it was demonstrated that increasing the concentration of lignin from 0.5% to 1% per polymer weight has increase the stability of PVC. It was also suggested the mechanism of stability hence lignin is highly aromatic and has a lot of phenolic hydroxyl groups which make it a very good UV-blocker and excellent free radical scavenger.

The effects of organosolv, hydrothermal, combined organosolv, and hydrothermal processes followed by enzyme pretreatment on Napier grass and silage were evaluated for their efficacy in enhancing methane production. The pretreatment of Napier grass and silage by organosolv followed by enzymatic hydrolysis significantly improved methane yields by 1.9–2.0 times compared with untreated Napier grass and silage. In addition, organosolv-treated Napier grass followed by enzymatic hydrolysis yielded 7.8% more methane (410 mL/g-volatile solidadded (VSadded)) than organosolv-treated silage followed by enzymatic hydrolysis (378 mL/g-VSadded). Organosolv pretreatment enhanced lignin removal, while hydrothermal pretreatment effectively hydrolyzed hemicellulose. Delignification and reduction of crystallinity during organosolv improve the degradability of Napier grass and silage, resulting in their significantly higher energy recovery of 14.8 and 13.6 kJ/g-VSadded, respectively, which were higher than the energy recovery attained from the hydrothermal process.

In this study, kraft lignin and epichlorohydrin (ECH) were used to prepare no-formaldehyde wood adhesives. The lignin was first treated by ball milling, then reacted with glyoxal to produce glyoxalated lignin under alkaline conditions, and then blended with ECH to prepare lignin-based formaldehyde-free adhesive. The influence of the content of ECH on the physicochemical properties of the adhesives was explored, and the possible synthesis mechanism of the ECH-modified glyoxalated lignin adhesives (glyoxalated kraft lignin-epoxy [GKLE]) was investigated. The results show that ECH was beneficial to improving the plywood shear strength and water resistance; the plywood prepared with GKLE-50 adhesive displays comparable water resistance as phenol–formaldehyde resins and its wet shear strength (type I) was 1.05 MPa, exceeding the Chinese National Standards GB/T 9846-2015. Scanning electron microscopy analysis showed that the increase of ECH content promoted the adhesive to penetrate the wood to form glue nails, improving the wet shear strength of the plywood. Chemical analysis indicated that glyoxalation was used to introduce hydroxyethyl groups into the ortho positions of the aromatic rings of lignin, and then the ring-opening reaction between glyoxalated lignin and ECH occurred forming ether bonds. Overall, lignin has displayed great potential in replacing formaldehyde-based adhesives for industrial applications.

Background Phomopsis stem-end rot caused by Diaporthe citri, causes significant commercial postharvest losses of pummelo fruit during storage. Carvacrol (CVR) is a known generally recognized as safe (GRAS) and has the ability to prolong the preservation of harvested fruits. In the present study, the inhibitory effects of CVR treatment at the appropriate concentration on Phomopsis stem-end rot development of harvested pummelo fruit inoculated with D. citri were evaluated by the amounts of cell wall components, the activities and gene expressions of related enzymes involved in cell wall modification and lignin biosynthesis. Results Results indicated that CVR completely inhibited D. citri growth in vitro at 200 mg L-1 and significantly controlled Phomopsis stem-end rot development in harvested pummelo. The CVR treatment delayed peel softening and browning, and retarded electrolyte leakage, O2 •- production, and malondialdehyde content. The CVR-treated fruit maintained higher amounts of cell wall materials (CWM), protopectin, hemicelluloses, and cellulose, but exhibited lower water-soluble pectin (WSP) amount. Moreover, in D. citri-inoculated fruit, CVR treatment suppressed the activities and gene expressions of cell wall disassembling-enzymes, including pectin methylesterase, polygalacturonase, cellulase, and β-galactosidase, while the development of cell wall degradation was reduced. Meanwhile, the CVR treatment enhanced the lignin biosynthesis by increasing the activities and up-regulating the gene expressions of phenylalanine ammonialyase, cinnamic alcohol dehydrogenase, and peroxidase accompanied with elevated level of lignin in pummelo fruit. Conclusion The disease resistance to D. citri in pummelo fruit elicited by CVR treatment is related to delaying cell wall degradation and enhancing lignin biosynthesis. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Pure deep eutectic solvents (DESs) system of choline chloride (ChCl)/Lactic acid (Lac) were demonstrated to be an effective strategy for extraction of lignin. In this study, two kinds of different promising solid acid (SA) with DESs were designed to promote the pretreatment of lignocellulose. The SA of phosphotungstic acid (H3O40PW12) and iron bromide (FeBr3) were introduced into DESs to extract poplar wood lignin and evaluate the antioxidant activity. It was found that 82.2% and 80.9% of lignin were obtained from poplar wood under H3O40PW12-ChCl/Lac acid and FeBr3-choline ChCl/Lac system with 4 h and 8 h, respectively. The lignin fractions with a high purity (>89%), low molecular weight (Mw 1800–2000 g/mol). Besides, the antioxidant activities of lignin fractions were better than butyl hydroxyanisole (BHA). Therefore, DES lignin has prominent antioxidant activity and could developed a potential natural cosmetics and food packaging.

Objective: The objective of this study was to explore the effects of maize straw treated with calcium oxide (CaO) and various moisture, on the composition and molecular structure of the fiber, and gas production by fermentation in an in vitro rumen environment.Methods: The experiment used 4×3 Factorial treatment. Maize straws were treated with 4 concentrations of CaO (0%, 3%, 5%, and 7% of dry straw weight) and 3 moisture contents (40%, 50%, and 60%). Scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy were employed to measure the surface texture, secondary molecular structure of carbohydrate, and calcium (Ca) content of the maize straw, respectively. The correlation of secondary molecular structures and fiber components of maize straw were analyzed by CORR procedure of SAS 9.2. In vitro rumen fermentation was performed for 6, 12, 24, 48, and 72 h to measure gas production.Results: Overall, the moisture factor had no obvious effect on the experimental results. Neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent fiber, acid detergent lignin, hemicellulose and cellulose contents decreased (p

The continuous increase in the global energy demand has diminished fossil fuel reserves and elevated the risk of environmental deterioration and human health. Biorefinery processes involved in producing bio-based energy-enriched chemicals have paved way to meet the energy demands. Compared to the thermochemical processes, fungal system biorefinery processes seems to be a promising approach for lignocellulose conversion. It also offers an eco-friendly and energy-efficient route for biofuel generation. Essentially, ligninolytic white-rot fungi and their enzyme arsenals degrade the plant biomass into structural constituents with minimal by-products generation. Hemi- or cellulolytic enzymes from certain soft and brown-rot fungi are always favoured to hydrolyze complex polysaccharides into fermentable sugars and other value-added products. However, the cost of saccharifying enzymes remains the major limitation, which hinders their application in lignocellulosic biorefinery. In the past, research has been focused on the role of lignocellulolytic fungi in biofuel production; however, a cumulative study comprising the contribution of the lignocellulolytic enzymes in biorefinery technologies is still lagging. Therefore, the overarching goal of this review article is to discuss the major contribution of lignocellulolytic fungi and their enzyme arsenal in global biofuel research and multiproduct biorefinery.

Background Lignin is the second most abundant naturally occurring biopolymer from lignocellulosic biomass. While there are several lignin applications, attempts to add value to lignin are hampered by its inherent complex and heterogenous chemical structure. This work assesses the organosolv lignin aggregates behaviour of soluble lignin extract derived from Miscanthus × giganteus using different ethanol concentrations (50%, 40%, 30%, 20%, 10% and 1%). The effect of two different lignin concentrations using similar ethanol concentration on the efficacy of esterification was studied. Results Overall, particle size of lignin analysis showed that the particle size of lignin aggregates decreased with lower ethanol concentrations. 50% ethanol concentration of soluble lignin extract showed the highest particle size of lignin (3001.8 nm), while 331.7 nm of lignin particle size was recorded at 1% ethanol concentration. Such findings of particle size correlated well with the morphology of the lignin macromolecules. The lignin aggregates appeared to be disaggregated from population of large aggregates to sub-population of small aggregates when the ethanol concentration was reduced. Light microscopy images analysis by ImageJ shows that the average diameter and circularity of the corresponding lignin macromolecules differs according to different ethanol concentrations. The dispersion of lignin aggregates at low ethanol concentration resulted in high availability of hydroxyl group in the soluble lignin extract. The efficacy of the lignin modification via esterification was evidenced directly via FTIR using the similar ethanol concentration of soluble lignin extract at different lignin concentrations. Conclusion This study provided the understanding of detail analysis on particle size determination, microscopic properties and structural insights of lignin aggregates at wider ethanol concentrations. The esterified lignin derived at 5 mg/mL is suggested to expand greater lignin functionality in the preparation of lignin bio-based materials.

Biochar addition can enhance soil quality and sequester carbon. However, changes in soil organic matter (SOM) molecular compositions in response to long‐term biochar addition have rarely been studied. Therefore, we quantified soil organic carbon fractions, carbon‐cycling enzyme activities, and a range of organic compounds and lignin‐derived phenols in the rhizosphere and bulk soils in different rice growth stages in the 8‐year field trial with biochar application rates of 0 (BC‐0), 4.5 (BC‐L), and 13.5 t ha−1 year−1 (BC‐H). We found that higher amounts of biochar addition (BC‐H) increased labile organic carbon (LOC), dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and particulate organic carbon (POC), and promoted activities of α‐1,4‐glucosidase, β‐D‐cellobiohydrolase and β‐1,4‐xylosidase; in contrast, BC‐L treatment reduced activities of these enzymes. The concentrations of dichloromethane/methanol‐extractable plant‐ and microbial‐derived organic compounds in the rhizosphere and bulk soils at tillering decreased significantly in the treatment with low amount of biochar addition. BC‐L also significantly altered the concentrations of extracted compounds in the rhizosphere soil at tillering and harvest. Concentration of lignin in the bulk soil was significantly reduced in BC‐L at tillering (by 19%) and harvest (by 28%). The concentrations of extracted compounds (e.g., n‐alkanols, n‐alkanoic acids, steroids, and carbohydrates) and lignin were generally significantly higher in the bulk than the rhizosphere soil at tillering and harvest. Long‐term biochar application (BC‐H) promoted lignin decomposition in the bulk soil (at tillering) and the rhizosphere soil (at harvest). Hence, biochar decreased stability of lignin in paddy soil. Our study provided evidence that long‐term biochar application changed the molecular composition and dynamics of degradation of SOM. These results deepen our understanding of the mechanisms governing SOM stability in agricultural ecosystems.

Deep eutectic solvents (DES) pretreatment is a promising approach to decrease “biomass recalcitrance” and boost the cellulose bioconversion as well as lignin valorization. In this study, a short-time DES pretreatment strategy was performed to enhance the production of high-yield fermentable sugars and tailored lignin nanoparticles (LNPs) from abaca. The glucose yield reached 92.4% under the optimal pretreatment condition (110 °C, 30 min), which was dramatically increased in comparison with that (9.5%) of control abaca. Simultaneously, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and gel permeation chromatography (GPC) techniques indicated that the removed and regenerated DES lignin fractions displayed depolymerized structures and have relatively low molecular weight with relatively homogeneous morphology and narrow size distribution. Transmission electron microscope (TEM) analysis indicated that these lignin fractions are LNPs and the size of the optimal LNPs fraction is ranged from 30 nm to 50 nm. Moreover, all the DES lignin exhibited excellent antioxidant activities as compared to the commercial antioxidant butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), which can be used as a promising natural antioxidant in industry. In short, this study demonstrated that the short-time DES pretreatment will improve the enzymatic digestibility and facilitate the controllable production and valorization of LNPs from abaca biomass, which will further promote the economic and overall benefits of biorefinery.

Drought is a common abiotic stress for terrestrial plants and often affects crop development and yield. Recent studies have suggested that lignin plays a crucial role in plant drought tolerance; however, the underlying molecular mechanisms are still largely unknown. Here, we report that the rice (Oryza sativa) gene CINNAMOYL-CoA REDUCTASE 10 (OsCCR10) is directly activated by the OsNAC5 transcription factor, which mediates drought tolerance through regulating lignin accumulation. CCR is the first committed enzyme in the monolignol synthesis pathway, and the expression of 26 CCR genes was observed to be induced in rice roots under drought. Subcellular localization assays revealed that OsCCR10 is a catalytically active enzyme that is localized in the cytoplasm. The OsCCR10 transcript levels were found to increase in response to abiotic stresses, such as drought, high salinity, and abscisic acid (ABA), and transcripts were detected in roots at all developmental stages. In vitro enzyme activity and in vivo lignin composition assay suggested that OsCCR10 is involved in H- and G-lignin biosynthesis. Transgenic rice plants overexpressing OsCCR10 showed improved drought tolerance at the vegetative stages of growth, as well as higher photosynthetic efficiency, lower water loss rates, and higher lignin content in roots compared to non-transgenic (NT) controls. In contrast, CRISPR/Cas9-mediated OsCCR10 knock-out mutants exhibited reduced lignin accumulation in roots and less drought tolerance. Notably, transgenic rice plants with root-preferential overexpression of OsCCR10 exhibited higher grain yield than non-transgenic controls plants under field drought conditions, indicating that lignin biosynthesis mediated by OsCCR10 contributes to drought tolerance.

Excessive exposure of skin to UV-A (315–400 nm) and UV-B (280–315 nm) radiation causes premature skin aging, inflammation, and skin cancers. The harmful effects of solar radiation can be minimized ...

Rice husk is one of the most abundant biomass resources in the world, yet it is not effectively used. This study focuses on the sustainably rice-husk-extracted lignin, nano-lignin (n-Lignin), lignin-capped silver nanoparticles (LCSN), n-Lignin-capped silver nanoparticles (n-LCSN), and lignin-capped silica-silver nanoparticles (LCSSN), and using them for antibacterial activities. The final n-Lignin-based products had a sphere-like structure, of which the size varied between 50 and 80 nm. We found that while n-Lignin and lignin were less effective against Escherichia coli than against Staphylococcus aureus, n-Lignin/lignin-based hybrid materials, i.e., n-LCSN, LCSN, and LCSSN, were better against E. coli than against S. aureus. Interestingly, the antimicrobial behaviors of n-LCSNs could be further improved by decreasing the size of n-Lignin. Considering the facile, sustainable, and eco-friendly method that we have developed here, it is promising to use n-Lignin/lignin-based materials as highly efficient antimicrobials without environmental concerns.

Bioactive substances, displaying excellent biocompatibility, chemical stability, and processability, could be extensively applied in biomedicine and tissue engineering. In recent years, plant-based bioactive substances such as flavonoids, vitamins, terpenes, and lignin have received considerable attention due to their human health benefits and pharmaceutical/medical applications. Among them is lignin, an amorphous biomacromolecule mainly derived from the combinatorial radical coupling of three phenylpropane units (p-hydroxypenyl, guaiacyl, and syringyl) during lignification. Lignin possesses intrinsic bioactivities (antioxidative, antibacterial, anti-UV activities, etc.) against phytopathogens. Lignin also enhances the plant resistance (adaptability) against environmental stresses. The abundant structural features of lignin offer other significant bioactivities including antitumor and antivirus bioactivities, regulation of plant growth, and enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulose. This Review reports the latest research results on the bioactive potential of lignin and lignin-based substances in biomedicine, agriculture, and biomass conversion. Moreover, the interfacial reactions and bonding mechanisms of lignin with biotissue/cells and other constituents were also discussed, aiming at promoting the conversion or evolution of lignin from industrial wastes to value-added bioactive materials.

This study evaluates the effect of various binders on the pelletization of raw and torrefied food waste (FW) towards its physical properties, including density, moisture reabsorption, and tensile strength of the formed pellets. Three binders; starch, lignin, and vegetable oil, were used to make the raw and torrefied FW pellets. It was found that the addition of lignin helps to improve the density of both, raw and torrefied FW pellets by 40% for raw FW pellets and up to 27% improvement for the torrefied FW pellets. In addition, increasing the concentration of lignin may also reduce moisture reabsorption from 48% to 40% of raw FW pellets, and the sorption was further reduced for the torrefied FW pellets. The addition of lignin improves the tensile strength, mainly the torrefied FW pellets. Results show that lignin inclusion demonstrates significant enhancement to the physical properties of FW pellets.

Hydrated silica (SiO2·nH2O) aggregates in the root endodermis of grasses. Application of soluble silicates (Si) to roots is associated with variations in the balance of reactive oxygen species (ROS), increased tolerance to a broad range of stresses affecting ROS concentrations, and early lignin deposition. In sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L.), silica aggregation is patterned in an active silicification zone (ASZ) by a special type of aromatic material forming a spotted pattern. The deposition has a signature typical of lignin. Since lignin polymerization is mediated by ROS, we studied the formation of root lignin and silica controlled by ROS via modulating hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) concentrations in the growth medium. Sorghum seedlings were grown hydroponically and supplemented with Si, H2O2, and KI, an ionic compound that catalyses H2O2 decomposition. Lignin and silica deposits in the endodermis were studied by histology, scanning electron and Raman microscopies. Cell wall composition was quantified by thermal gravimetric analysis. Endodermal H2O2 concentration correlated to the extent of lignin-like deposition along the root, but did not affect its patterning in spots. Our results show that the ASZ spots were necessary for root silica aggregation, and suggest that silicification is intensified under oxidative stress as a result of increased ASZ lignin-like deposition.

Shallot (Allium cepa var. aggregatum) expels peel, stalk and petiole as major waste streams during harvesting and industrial processing. The study investigates effect of pre-treatments and process parameters on extraction of α-cellulose and subsequently Microcrystalline Cellulose (MCC). The extraction of cellulose and MCC was carried out by two pre-treatments such as hot water (60 °C) and autoclave method (121 °C) along with combined hydrolysis of alkali-bleaching-acid. The efficiency of pre-treatment with time, temperature and concentration of NaOH were evaluated. The recovery yield of MCC from cellulose was high in stalks and peel (autoclave pre-treated) and petiole (hot water pre-treated) with 79.39, 59.23 and 55.63% respectively. The FTIR spectra of samples showed that removal of lignin and hemicellulose was better in autoclave pre-treated samples. Scanning electron micrograph showed the morphological modifications in both pre-treatments. Crystallinity of extracted MCC was analysed with X-ray diffraction method and found high in hot water assisted petiole and autoclave assisted samples of petiole and stalk with 83.74, 79.93 and 76.75% respectively. The thermal resistance of extracted samples was analysed with DSC. The results of various parameters were compared with commercial MCC and showed close proximity. The autoclave assisted pre-treatment was better for the effective transformation of cellulose to MCC with combined chemical hydrolysis which was technically easier, economical with less energy consumption. In a nutshell, selected shallot wastes proved to be source of superior quality microcrystalline cellulose with potential for commercialization.

A major stress factor that can seriously limit plant growth and productivity is the soil degradation caused by salinity. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) establish symbioses with most agricultural plants and improve growth under soil stress. In this study, tea plants with and without AMF inoculation under salt stress were investigated with the RNA-seq and the genome sequencing of tea plant, obtaining a positive insight into AMF-colonized involved in the improvement of growth and quality affected by lignin and cellulose synthesis under salt stress. Totals of 1402 and 1915 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified in tea leaf with and without AMF under salt stress. Functional annotation analysis revealed that these DEGs were mainly involved in metabolic process, membrane and cell part and catalytic activity function. The Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathways analysis showed that the DEGs were enriched on the cellulose synthesis with AMF or enriched on the lignin and cellulose synthesis without AMF under salt stress. Further experiments verified that the more lignin deposited on the xylem vascular and the sclerenchyma of tea plants after salt stress, and lignin autofluorescence in tea plants with AMF was weaker than that without AMF. AMF inoculation could alleviate the salt stress, which showed in the decrease of lignin and cellulose accumulation. Moreover, the tea plants inoculated AMF increased tolerance by osmotic regulation and protective enzymes. In general, our results provide a more comprehensive insight into the role of AMF in adapting the adverse condition and keep the quality of fresh tea leaves in the northern Tea Area.

Corncob is abundantly available lignocellulosic biomass resources obtained from crops harvesting and found to be solid waste accumulation on a field. Less corncob is used as a solid fuel for cooking, and a more significant portion is vanished on the field by burning. Promisingly, corncob contains considerable cellulose as one value-added component potentially utilized as biomaterial or biofuel feedstock. However, the presence of lignin in natural lignocellulosic biomass results in recalcitrant structure and hinders cellulose accessibility. This study aimed to investigate microwave-assisted alkaline treatment to retain cellulose in the solid product while removing other impurities in corncob, especially hemicellulose and lignin. Sodium hydroxide was selected as a chemical with some variations in concentration. The chemical treatment was carried out under 400 W microwave power with various residence times and a 1:10 solid to liquor ratio. The cellulose content upgraded from 26.97% to 71.26% while reducing hemicellulose and lignin from 38.49% to 18.15% and 19.28% to 6.4%, respectively, on chemical treatment using 8% sodium hydroxide concentration for 20 minutes residence time. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) analysis also confirmed the results. The treated corncob also increased its crystallinity from 30.11% to 52.91%.

BACKGROUND Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1 ) is the most dangerous of the mycotoxins that contaminate cereal seeds naturally. A stress lignin formation is linked with the accumulation of reactive oxygen species causing a change in the redox status and formation of stable organic radicals, constituting the first layer of defense. The relationship between AFB1 and changes in lignin organic free radicals in seeds is not known, nor is the part of the seed that is more targeted. Using optical and electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy, we investigated AFB1 -induced changes in lignin and organic free radicals in seeds, and whether the inner and outer seed fractions differ in response to increasing AFB1 . RESULTS Different changes in the content of lignin and free radicals with increasing AFB1 concentrations were observed in the two seed fractions. There was a significant positive linear correlation (R = 0.9923, P = 0.00005) between lignin content and AFB1 concentration in the outer fraction, and no correlation between the lignin content and the AFB1 concentration in the inner fraction. We found a positive correlation between the area of the green spectral emission component (C4) and the AFB1 concentration in the outer fraction. CONCLUSIONS To the best of our knowledge, the results showed, for the first time, that maize seed fractions respond differently to aflatoxin with regard to their lignin and organic free radical content. Lignin content and (C4) area may be reliable indicators for the screening of lignin changes against AFB1 content in the seeds, and thus for seed protection capacity. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.

Innovation of high-value added lignin derivatives has become a topic of interest, but lignin modification and utilization remain a challenge due to lignin’s complicated structure. In our previous study, we successfully improved water resistance and adhesion performance of soy protein adhesives using unmodified lignin. This study focuses on lignin modification as well as lignin-protein properties and interactions. Lignin modification was achieved by pH changes and pH-shifting. Cleavage of β-O-4 linkage was observed at pH 8.5 and pH 12, resulting in smaller particle sizes and changes in thermal properties. Partial repolymerization was found after pH-shifting treatments. Lignin increased the strength of protein films under high temperature and significantly enhanced the water resistance of soy protein at pH 12. Cross-linking of protein and lignin took place via carbonyl, amino, and hydroxyl groups. Multiple-point interactions between lignin and protein resulted in a stronger lignin-protein network. Additional lignin-protein complexes with high molecular weight were detected with an elevated lignin concentration at pH 8.5. The binding interaction between lignin and protein, although of non-specific nature, was also observed by isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC). Findings of this study contribute to the further development of green lignin-protein products.

Fresh green asparagus is prone to lignify after harvest due to its high respiration rate and secretion of secondary metabolites regulated by enzymes generated during storage. In this work, a dense hemicellulose-based coating containing hemicellulose, cellulose nanofibers, and montmorillonite (MMT) was prepared and used as a coating to reduce the respiration rate of green asparagus, with which the shelf life of green asparagus was prolonged from 5 days to 7 days. Alkyl ketene dimer (AKD) was used as a hydrophobizer and a crosslinking agent to reduce humidity sensitivity by introducing hydrophobic fatty acid chains to nanoparticles for increased structural stability and respiratory barrier property hemicellulose-based film in high humidity conditions. Our study proved that AKD modified coating with nature-derived nanomaterials could effectively increase respiratory barrier property, slow down the secretion of lignification-involved enzymes, and regulating the conversion of phenolic compounds to the lignin monomers.

To acclimate to waterlogged conditions, wetland plants form a barrier to radial oxygen loss (ROL) that can enhance oxygen transport to the root apex. We hypothesized that one or more hormones are involved in the induction of the barrier and searched for such hormones in rice. We previously identified 98 genes that were tissue-specifically upregulated during ROL barrier formation in rice. The RiceXPro database showed that most of these genes were highly enhanced by exogenous abscisic acid (ABA). We then examined the effect of ABA on ROL barrier formation by using an ABA biosynthesis inhibitor (fluridone, FLU), by applying exogenous ABA and by examining a mutant with a defective ABA biosynthesis gene (osaba1). FLU suppressed barrier formation in a stagnant solution that mimics waterlogged soil. Under aerobic conditions, rice does not naturally form a barrier, but 24 h of ABA treatment induced barrier formation. osaba1 did not form a barrier under stagnant conditions, but the application of ABA rescued the barrier. In parallel with ROL barrier formation, suberin lamellae formed in the exodermis. These findings strongly suggest that ABA is an inducer of suberin lamellae formation in the exodermis, resulting in an ROL barrier formation in rice.

Pleurotus ostreatus (oyster mushroom) synthesizes enzymes that degrade lignin, cellulose, and hemicellulose. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the effect of Pleurotus ostreatus spent substrate (POSS) on whole-plant corn silage (WPCS) chemical composition, antioxidant capacity, lignin monomers, and in vitro digestibility, as well as the performance of lactating goats fed corn silage treated with different levels of POSS. In experiment 1, 4 levels of lignocellulolytic enzymes were tested in a complete randomized design: 0, 10, 20, and 30 mg of lignocellulosic enzymes per kilogram of fresh matter, 4 replicates per treatment (vacuum-sealed bags). The bags were opened 60 d after ensiling. In experiment 2, corn silage treated with 3 enzyme levels (0, 10, or 30 mg/kg of fresh matter) was fed to lactating goats as part of the total mixed ration. Nine lactating Saanen goats (62.68 ± 7.62 kg BW; 44 ± 8 d in milk; 2.91 ± 0.81 kg of milk/day, mean ± SD) were assigned to three 3 × 3 Latin squares. Data were analyzed using the GLIMMIX procedure of SAS (version 9.4, SAS Institute Inc.), and means were compared by linear and quadratic orthogonal contrast. In experiment 1, neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent fiber (ADF), lignin, and cellulose quadratically decreased in the WPCS treated with POSS. At the nadir point, POSS decreased NDF by 14.1%, ADF by 19.5%, lignin by 9.07%, and cellulose by 22.1% compared with the untreated silage. Therefore, POSS led to a quadratic increase in in vitro dry matter digestibility of WPCS (+8.88% at the vertex) compared with the untreated silage. In experiment 2, POSS quadratically increased the in vivo total-tract ADF digestibility. Also, the concentration of polyphenols in the milk of goats linearly increased with the addition of POSS, and no differences were observed among treatments for milk yield and composition. In summary, adding 10 mg of lignocellulolytic enzymes from POSS per kilogram of fresh matter of whole-plant corn at ensiling had a more evident reduction in lignin and cellulose concentration, leading to greater in vitro digestibility, as well as greater in vivo ADF digestibility; however, milk yield was not different among treatments.

During acidic pretreatment of renewable lignocellulosic biomass, lignin depolymerization/repolymerization reactions often occur, which intensifies lignin inhibition on cellulose hydrolysis generally through lignin-derived inhibitors formation, unproductive binding and physical blockage effect. In order to improve the enzymatic digestibility of dilute acid pretreated hardwood, in this work various additives were compared and their inhibition mitigating effects were examined. It was revealed that 2-naphthol addition reduced the formation of inhibitory derivatives from lignin, thus increasing the enzymatic hydrolysis yield of the whole slurry after dilute acid pretreatment. The addition of phenolic acids largely diminished enzyme binding effect of the insoluble lignin. Moreover, the 2-naphthol-7-sulfonate additive led to the most pronounced mitigation on physical blockage effect of lignin, as XPS and SEM results showed the significant removal of surface lignin. This work revealed the different mechanisms of various additives in mitigating lignin inhibition, and provided a better understanding on utilizing proper additives to improve biomass saccharification for biorefinery applications.

Lignin is the only renewable aromatic material in nature and contains a large number of oxygen-containing functional groups. High-value and green utilization of "lignin-to-chemicals" can be realized via using lignin to produce fine chemicals such as phenols and carboxylic acids, which can not only reduce the waste of lignin in the process of lignocellulosic biomass treatment, but gradually make the substitution of traditional fossil fuels come true. The hydrogenolysis process under catalysis of metal catalyst has high product selectivity and less impurity, which is suitable for the production of same type or single fine chemicals. Hydrogenolysis of lignin via metal catalysts to produce lignin oil, and further modification of functional groups (e.g. methoxyl, alkyl and hydroxyl group) of depolymerized monomers in the bio-oil to yeild phenols and terephthalic acid are reviewed, and catalytic mechanisms are briefly summarized in this paper. Finally, the problems of lignin catalytic conversion existing currently are investigated, and the future development of this field is also prospected.

The essential oil from Melaleuca leucadendra L. leaves has been widely used as a perfume and traditional remedy, cosmetics and pharmaceutical products ingredient since many years ago. The common technology to recover the oil is hydro-distillation and steam-distillation. However, all oil can not be fully extracted from the leaves by this method due to the recalcitrant structure of leaves that hindrance the access of the solvent. Adding a submerged fermentation as a pre-treatment step prior to the extraction process helped to loosen the lignocellulose structure and enhance oil release in the extraction process. In this study, the raw materials were collected from the natural forest in Buru Island, Maluku, Indonesia. The biological agents applied in these processes were Phanerochaete chrysosporium ITBCC136 and Trichoderma viride ITBCC143. The oil extraction process was conducted by method of steam-distillation, the oil was analysed using gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy (GC-MS), and the lignocellulose content in the biomass was measured by the fractionation method. The treatment using T.viride provided the highest increase in yield percentage up to 3.47% as compared with control of 1.45%, with the lowest percentages of the remained cellulose, while the fermentation with the presence of P.chrysosporium did not affect the oil yield even the lignin content was decrease as much as 21%. The percentages of 1, 8-cineole in the oil were almost unchanged, which was about 20% of the oil.

The storage quality of Hylocereus undatus was significantly improved by trypsin , a novel preservative. The transcriptomic results revealed that antioxidant signal pathways were induced, while lignin catabolic process was impeded by trypsin. In addition, the results of protein-protein interaction (PPI) network networks suggested that flavone 3’- O -methyltransferase 1 (OMT1), ferulic acid 5-hydroxylase 1 (CYP84A1), cellulose synthase isomer (CEV1), and 4-coumarate–CoA ligase 3 (4CL3) act as hubs of peroxidases, lignin related proteins, and proteins involved in the phenylpropanoid metabolism (PLPs) induced by trypsin. Trypsin also regulated the biosynthesis of lignin, chlorogenic acid , and flavonoids . Caffeic acid might be the hub in the metabolic network of the early pathways of phenylpropanoid biosynthesis. It has been hypothesized that trypsin might quickly induce lignin biosynthesis and then up-regulated bioactive metabolites to enhance storage quality of H. undatus.

Recently, the demand for biodegradable, eco-friendly and sustainable alternatives has been on the increase. Although numerous biopolymers such as cellulose, starch, plants proteins and polylactic acid, etc., have been used to produce bioplastics, the outcomes need more improvement to suit different applications. This paper comprehensively maps the expanding academic territory using lignin as a reinforcement material to improve biopolymers-based materials' properties. A brief discussion on the chronological development of lignin, types, isolation, physical and chemical modifications was presented. Also, the role of lignin in biopolymeric blends such as starch, polylactic acids, plants proteins, polyhydroxy butyrate and polyamides was reviewed. Finally, the review extensively and critically discusses the current findings on lignin/biopolymers blends in various industrial applications, including wood adhesives, adsorbent for toxic heavy metal removal, production of carbon materials, dispersant medium, flame retardant and storage materials, etc., and highlighted the possible applications of lignin in biofuel, hydrocarbon, lubricant, renewable chemical, and smart materials.

Rice straw is one of material containing cellulose to produce Carboxymethyl Cellulose (CMC). CMC is a non toxic polysaccharide that produces from cellulose that widely used in the pharmaceutical, food, textile, detergent, and cosmetic products industries. There are two stages usually use to produce CMC which are mercerization and esterification processes. Rice straw waste is one of the materials to produce CMC, it has a cellulose content of 37.7%, hemi-cellulose 21.99%, and lignin 16.62 %. BPS Aceh shown that the total rice harvested area was 310.01 hectares, with a total production of 1.71 million tons, and rice produced at 982.57 thousand ton. This study aims to reduce waste and environmental pollution caused by rice straw and collects information of rice straw as a basic material to produce of carboxymethyl cellulose and to increase the economic value of rice straw. The effects of various wieght parameters sodium monochloroacetate on chemical properties of CMC that produce from rice straw were investigated in this research. Rice straw was collected from a rice field in Nisam, North Aceh. The research conducted by synthesizing 5 grams rice straw for 5.5 hours using NaOH and Sodium Monochloroacetate solutions. With variations weight of sodium monochloroacetate are 5,6,7,8 and 9 grams. The characterization of CMC was carried out by Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR), CMC yield, DS, Viscosity, water content, pH. The result shows that addition of sodium monochloroacetate was significant factors influence the chemical properties on CMC. The CMC that produced in this study achieved to National Indonesia Standard (SNI).

BACKGROUND The growing food-feed-fuel competition, declining availability of traditional feeds, higher prices, and the urgent need to provide long-term sustainability for animal production have all triggered global research into the optimum extraction of energy and nutrients from lignin-rich plant biomass. Recent studies have shown that the Pleurotus species of white rot fungus can selectively degrade lignin in lignin-rich plant biomass; however, its effectiveness in selectively degrading lignin depends on the type of substrate and species of fungus. This study was therefore designed to treat wheat straw, rice straw, and corn cob, with Pleurotus eryngii, P. ostreatus, and P. florida for 30 days under solid-state fermentation, to identify a promising fungus-substrate combination for the selective degradation of lignin and optimal improvement in the nutritional value and digestibility of each substrate. RESULTS The type of fungus strongly influenced (P

Manganese oxides loaded cellulose, lignin, and rice husk catalysts were prepared by in situ reduction of permanganate. CV, FT-IR, SEM–EDS, TGA, XPS, and XRD analyses were applied to characterize the obtained catalysts. Mn 2p band deconvolution revealed Mn2O3 and MnO2 phases for modified rice husk and cellulose, while amorphous Mn3O4 and MnO2 phases were found for modified lignin. The morphology of MnO2/Mn3O4@KL presents micro/nanospherical particles with aggregation, giving rise to large agglomerations. The relative atomic concentrations of total manganese oxides in fresh catalysts are about 2%, 2.6%, and 6.3% for modified lignin, cellulose, and rice husk, respectively. The photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue on the modified lignin catalyst (60%) was higher than those of modified rice husk (40%) and cellulose (26%), due to the surface charge state and the strong adsorption affinity of lignin-based catalysts with dye. At the optimal contact time of 10 min, the decoloration rate of the modified lignin was higher than 98% for 10 mg/L dye concentration with a catalyst dose of 1 g/L. However, an increase in the initial concentration of dye affects the decoloration rate constants of the modified lignin. The pseudo-first-order rate equation described the kinetic decoloration of methylene blue dye with good correlation coefficients. MnO2/Mn3O4@KL as a low-cost and effective material for the removal of methylene blue may become an alternative catalyst to reduce wastewater pollution.

In this work, a novel acid-based deep eutectic solvent (DES) recycling process was developed for the pretreatment of eucalyptus wood chips in the preparation of high purity dissolving pulp. It was found that a large amount of lignin and xylan in the eucalyptus wood material were extracted in the recycling treatment with lactic acid/choline chloride. The dissolved lignin and xylan in DES were recovered by precipitation in water, and the DES solvent was regenerated by removing the water through evaporation. The residual lignin and xylan in the DES pre-treated wood chips were more readily removed in the subsequent kraft cooking and bleaching processes, yielding a high-purity dissolving pulp (DES-KP). Compared with the conventional prehydrolysis kraft based dissolving pulp (PHK), the DES-KP had a higher α-cellulose (94.02% vs. 89.81%) and a markedly higher Fock reactivity (98.94% vs. 60.97%). In addition, the DES pretreatment was also combined with oxygen-alkali cooking and ECF bleaching process, to prepare a dissolving pulp (DES-BP) with a high pulping yield (44.40%). The DES-KP pulping process was advantageous compared with the conventional PHK process in terms of the biorefinery concept, as the total utilization rate of the biomass of the eucalyptus wood chips reached 69.74%. Therefore, the DES pretreatment is a promising process for efficient biomass utilization in dissolving pulp production.

Organosolv lignins were extracted from corn stover, wheat, rice straw, reed straw, and sugarcane bagasse using a mixture of acetic and formic acids, at relatively low temperature and atmospheric pressure. Lignin content, residual carbohydrates, ash levels, proteins, and molecular weights were determined in each extracted lignin. The lignin content of all samples was relatively high, confirming the performance of the pretreatment process. The low molecular weights were in a narrow range, in accordance with the organosolv lignin molar masses. However, some differences between studied lignins were highlighted, in particular in rice straw lignin, which contained the highest silica, calcium, and nitrogen contents. Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopies (31P and semi-quantitative Heteronuclear Single Quantum Correlation) underlined the structural similarities and differences between these organosolv lignins. Corn stover and sugarcane bagasse lignins were rich in non-methoxylated (H-Unit) or mono-methoxylated (G-Unit) phenolic units, making them the best promising candidates for production of phenolic resins. Wheat straw lignin was richer in aliphatic OH than in phenolic OH. This is an advantage for use as polyol substitute in polyurethane synthesis. Reed straw lignin was less specific, with a balanced content of OH groups. However, it contained a high concentration of β-O-4 linkages, which is favorable for depolymerization.

Native lignin, a major structural polymer in lignocellulosic biomass, offers unique advantages as a feedstock for high-performance bio-based polymeric materials. In this work, depolymerized native ...

Lignin-carbohydrate complexes (LCCs) have recently emerged as natural products with pharmaceutical and nutraceutical potential. Here, we compared the structure of LCCs from ginkgo (GK, gymnosperms), wheat straw (WST, monocotyledons), and aspen white poplar (AW, dicotyledons). We also investigated the biotransformation of LCCs by intestinal microbiota in vitro. We found that human intestinal microbiota could use LCCs as a carbon source for growth, breaking resistant cross-linkages in LCCs to generate a plethora of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) and aromatic compounds with putative beneficial effects on human health. The yield of SCFAs reached 1837.8 ± 44.1 μmol/g using AW LCCs as a carbon source. The biomass of intestinal microbiota increased the fastest using GK LCCs. The greatest amounts of phenolics were present at 4 h in a WST LCCs fermentation system. Many phenolic acids with potential bioactivity were obtained after 24 h fermentation using each LCCs, such as ferulic acid.

In order to obtain a lignin-based adsorbent with low cost, simple operation and no further modification, a calcium lignin adsorbent was prepared from chemical mechanical pulping (CMP) waste liquor by directly calcification from lime. The calcium lignin was characterized by BET, SEM, TEM, FT-IR and solid-state NMR analyses. The results showed that the molecular structure of the calcium lignin particles did not change when compared to sodium lignin, the formation mechanism of calcium lignin was revealed. The initial COD and lignin contents of CMP waste liquid were 54858 mg/L and 24.39 g/L, the conversion rate of lignin can reach 71.36% when was deal with lime. Thus, most of the lignin resources in the waste liquid were recovered. The middle-stage wastewater (MSWW) of pulping and papermaking was dealt with calcium lignin, the COD removal rate was up to 85.83%. The adsorption isotherms and kinetics were well fitted by the Langmuir model and pseudo-second-order kinetic model, respectively. Lime was regenerated from the used calcium lignin with high-temperature calcination, the conversion rate of calcium ions can reach 83.56%. Overall, the calcium lignin prepared by the one-step method exhibited great potential for effectively removing COD from middle-stage wastewater.

Benzo (a) pyrene content in plants and soils in anthropogenically polluted areas pollution was monitored. The influence of benzo (a) pyrene on conifers and deciduous plants was assessed. In forests with Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) and silver birch (Betula pendula) trunks, the content of lignin, cellulose, and extractive low molecular weight polar substances was determined by the concentration of benzo (a) pyrene and tree species. In forest ecosystems, the background content of carcinogen (1–5 μg / kg) did not affect the content of lignin and cellulose, but stimulated the synthesis of extractive substances, especially in birch. For pine, there was a direct correlation between the concentration of benzo (a) pyrene in two -year-old needles and its peroxidase activity. An increase in the activity of oxidoreductases and their participation in the synthesis of phenolic, tannin and other organic (extractive) substances, depending on the concentration of benzo (a) pyrene, indicate its biostimulating properties. Various physiological and biochemical reactions in woody and herbaceous plants were analyzed depending on the concentration (dose) of benzo (a) pyrene in the composition of plants and in soils polluted by anthropogenic emissions. Opposite reactions of coniferous and leafy trees to benzo (a) pyrene were observed. On the basis of own and published data, the natural, intermediate transitional and technogenic ranges of benzo (a) pyrene concentrations have been identified; among which the effect on plants varies from stimulating to inhibitory.