Lignin-carbohydrate complexes from sisal (Agave sisalana) and abaca (Musa textilis): chemical composition and structural modifications during the isolation process.

MAIN CONCLUSION: Two types of lignins occurred in different lignin-carbohydrate fractions, a lignin enriched in syringyl units, less condensed, preferentially associated with xylans, and a lignin with more guaiacyl units, more condensed, associated with glucans. Lignin-carbohydrate complexes (LCC) were isolated from the fibers of sisal (Agave sisalana) and abaca (Musa textilis) according to a plant biomass fractionation procedure recently developed and which was termed as "universally" applicable to any type of lignocellulosic material. Two LCC fractions, namely glucan-lignin (GL) and xylan-lignin (XL), were isolated and differed in the content and composition of carbohydrates and lignin. In both cases, GL fractions were enriched in glucans and comparatively depleted in lignin, whereas XL fractions were depleted in glucans, but enriched in xylans and lignin. Analysis by two-dimensional Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (2D-NMR) and Derivatization Followed by Reductive Cleavage (DFRC) indicated that the XL fractions were enriched in syringyl (S)-lignin units and ß-O-4' alkyl-aryl ether linkages, whereas GL fractions have more guaiacyl (G)-lignin units and less ß-O-4' alkyl-aryl ether linkages per lignin unit. The data suggest that the structural characteristics of the lignin polymers are not homogeneously distributed within the same plant and that two different lignin polymers with different composition and structure might be present. The analyses also suggested that acetates from hemicelluloses and the acyl groups (acetates and p-coumarates) attached to the γ-OH of the lignin side chains were extensively hydrolyzed and removed during the LCC fractionation process. Therefore, caution must be paid when using this fractionation approach for the structural characterization of plants with acylated hemicelluloses and lignins. Finally, several chemical linkages (phenylglycosides and benzyl ethers) could be observed to occur between lignin and xylans in these plants.

Lignin profiling in extracted xylans by size-exclusion chromatography.

Utilization of the polymeric parts of lignocellulose is expected to gain increasing importance in future biorefinery scenarios. In that respect, a particular focus is placed on hemicelluloses from different wood species gained from an industrially feasible upgrading step in the production of dissolving pulps from paper pulps. During alkaline post-extractions for hemicellulose removal, residual lignins are extracted as well. They are either covalently linked to the extracted hardwood xylans or simply co-dissolved in the alkaline lye. In order to better describe the lignin in xylan containing lyes, a method for lignin profiling was set up by hyphenating size-exclusion chromatography of xylans with UV detection which facilitates visualization of the residual lignin distribution. Simultaneous lignin quantification was achieved with lignin standards prepared from Kraft cooking liquors. The setup presented may serve as advanced characterization for novel xylan products.