Genetic basis investigation of wattle phenotype in goat using genome-wide sequence data.

In domestic goats, wattles often appear in even numbers, mostly on the neck and a few under the ear. Goat wattle is composed of ectopic cartilage tissue covered by skin and was reported as a dominant inheritance. Thirty-eight goats from two Southwest Chinese breeds were studied to elucidate the genetic basis of wattle phenotype in goat. Their genomes were sequenced for wide-genome selective sweep analysis (WGSA) and a genome-wide association study (GWAS). The WGSA results revealed 500 candidate genes identified by fixation index and π ratio and 261 Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways enriched with 195 genes and 38 significantly enriched KEGG items. In particular, three chondrogenesis-related pathways (Wnt, Hippo and MAPK signaling pathways) were found. Among the 500 genes, 474 were enriched to 2855 Gene Ontology items, and four (BMP2, BMP4, RARA and MSX1) were annotated in the regulation and development of chondrogenesis. Four chondrogenesis-related genes (GREM1, NEDD4, ATG7 and ITGA1) were identified from 519 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with a GWAS above the threshold. Six and 11 SNPs on chromosome 10 are located on GREM1 and NEDD4 respectively, and the highest numbers of SNPs on chromosomes 20 and 22 are located on ITGA1 and ATG7 respectively. All of these genes are related to cartilage development. This study identified a series of genes related to chondroplasia by GWAS and WGSA and presented the possibility that wattle inheritance may be influenced by multiple genes. This work provides a new theoretical understanding of the hereditary basis of wattle phenotype.

Wattle fencing improved soil aggregate stability, organic carbon stocks and biochemical quality by restoring highly eroded mountain region soil.

Eroded bare land stabilization is important to reduce soil erosion and stimulate soil carbon (C) sequestration for improved soil biogeochemical quality in hillslope soils. This study investigated the effectiveness of wattle fencing as a bioengineering tool to improve soil stabilization, soil physico-chemical properties and soil organic C dynamics and reduce soil erodibility in the Boyabat mountain regions of Turkey with rough and over-steepened slope (50-70%). Wattle fence treatments were developed in the area of 50 ha in the spring season of 2010 and surface (0-20 cm) and subsurface soil (20-40 cm) samples were taken in Spring, 2015. Results revealed that, compared to control with bare slope, wattle fencing significantly improved some soil physico-chemical, and microbial properties and erodibility indices by increasing clay ratio, dispersion ratio and aggregate stability index in surface and subsoils. Wattle fencing enhanced plant available water contents more in surface than in subsoils. Wattle fencing also increased microbial biomass C contents by 55% and 43% in surface and subsurface soils, respectively. Soil organic C followed similar trends; however, they were indifferent between sampling depths for the control soils. Soil organic C stocks and aggregate stability index were significantly positively correlated and seemed to be better predictor of positive effects of wattle fencing on soil structural stability, erodibility and associated properties. We found positive effects of soil organic C contents on microbial biomass C and soil-water relations suggesting restoration of soil biological functions and favorable influence on soil water retention following wattle fencing. Although sparse vegetation was observed in the research area, our study emphasizes performing further research to understand the effects of wattle fencing along with afforestation with native vegetation on soil erosion rates on a long-term basis by considering the variability in edaphic and environmental factors.

Chicken Combs and Wattles as Sources of Bioactive Peptides: Optimization of Hydrolysis, Identification by LC-ESI-MS2 and Bioactivity Assessment.

The production of bioactive peptides from organic by-waste materials is in line with current trends devoted to guaranteeing environmental protection and a circular economy. The objectives of this study were i) to optimize the conditions for obtaining bioactive hydrolysates from chicken combs and wattles using Alcalase, ii) to identify the resulting peptides using LC-ESI-MS2 and iii) to evaluate their chelating and antioxidant activities. The hydrolysate obtained using a ratio of enzyme to substrate of 5% (w/w) and 240 min of hydrolysis showed excellent Fe2+ chelating and antioxidant capacities, reducing Fe3+ and inhibiting 2, 2'-Azino-bis(3-ethylbenz-thiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radicals. The mapping of ion distribution showed that a high degree of hydrolysis led to the production of peptides with m/z ≤ 400, suggesting low mass peptides or peptides with multiple charge precursor ions. The peptides derived from the proteins of cartilage like Collagen alpha-2(I), Collagen alpha-1(I), Collagen alpha-1(III) and elastin contributed to generation of bioactive compounds. Hydrolysates from chicken waste materials could be regarded as candidates to be used as ingredients to design processed foods with functional properties.

The relationship between male social status, ejaculate and circulating testosterone concentration and female yolk androgen transfer in red junglefowl (Gallus gallus).

Several studies show that avian females prefer males based on their secondary sexual ornaments and dominance status. We tested in red junglefowl (Gallus gallus) how comb size affected the result of fighting and how the dominance status related to testosterone concentrations in their circulation and ejaculates. We subsequently tested how social status was related to female reproductive investment, including yolk hormone transfer. We found that after a fight 1) winners increased plasma T and decreased ejaculates T whereas losers' T remained unchanged, and 2) plasma T of winners was higher but ejaculates T was lower than those of losers. We argued those are consistent with the different reproductive strategies of dominant and subordinate males. Furthermore, in line with offspring sex-dependent growth patterns females transferred significantly more androstenedione to female than male embryos when mated with winners, while doing the opposite when mated with losers. We concluded therefore that female reproductive investment was affected by both partner quality and embryo sex. The results indicate that male quality influences sex-specific maternal investment, which could be mediated by ejaculate testosterone concentration.

Secondary sexual traits and semen characteristic of chicken germline chimeras.

Birds obtained by embryo engineering are used to study embryo development and to produce transgenic birds. As this method of producing birds still generate strong emotions of the public opinion head ornaments, testes and semen characteristics of sex chimera roosters were examined to check whether they differ from chickens obtained by non-manipulated methods. Measurements of head ornaments, testes and semen were correlated with each other. Semen quality factor (SQF) was calculated, as well as the level of fluctuating asymmetry (FA) of bilateral traits (wattles and testes). Positive correlation was found for comb width and wattle length and comb thickness and sperm concentration. Semen characteristics and FA did not exceed the level encounter in other chicken lines. Results obtained indicate that germline chimeras are similar in appearance of secondary sexual traits, and semen and testes characteristics to chickens produced in non-manipulated way.

Effect of ultrasonic degradation of hyaluronic acid extracted from rooster comb on antioxidant and antiglycation activities.

CONTENT: Recently, low-molecular-weight hyaluronic acid (LMWHA) has been reported to have novel features, such as free radical scavenging activities, antioxidant activities and dietary supplements. OBJECTIVE: In this study, hyaluronic acid (HA) was extracted from rooster comb and LMWHA was obtained by ultrasonic degradation in order to assess their antioxidant and antiglycation activities. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Molecular weight (Mw) and the content of glucuronic acid (GlcA) were used as the index for comparison of the effect of ultrasonic treatment. The effects on the structure were determined by ultraviolet (UV) spectra and Fourier transform infrared spectra (FTIR). The antioxidant activity was determined by three analytical assays (DPPH, NO and TBARS), and the inhibitory effect against glycated-BSA was also assessed. RESULTS: The GlcA content of HA and LMWHA was estimated at about 48.6% and 47.3%, respectively. The results demonstrate that ultrasonic irradiation decreases the Mw (1090-181 kDa) and intrinsic viscosity (1550-473 mL/g), which indicate the cleavage of the glycosidic bonds. The FTIR and UV spectra did not significantly change before and after degradation. The IC50 value of HA and LWMHA was 1.43, 0.76 and 0.36 mg/mL and 1.20, 0.89 and 0.17 mg/mL toward DPPH, NO and TBARS, respectively. Likewise LMWHA exhibited significant inhibitory effects on the AGEs formation than HA. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: The results demonstrated that the ultrasonic irradiation did not damage and change the chemical structure of HA after degradation; furthermore, decreasing Mw and viscosity of LMWHA after degradation may enhance the antioxidant and antiglycation activity.

History of the Athens Canadian Random Bred and the Athens Random Bred control populations.

The University of Georgia maintains two meat-type chicken control strains: the Athens Random Bred (ARB) and the Athens Canadian Random Bred (ACRB). The Athens Random Bred was developed from colored plumage commercial meat chicken strains in 1956. The ACRB is a replicate population of the Ottawa Meat Control strain which was developed in 1955 from white plumage commercial meat-type chickens. These genetic lines have been extremely valuable research resources and have been used extensively to provide comparative context to modern meat-type strains. The ACRB may be the oldest pedigreed control commercial meat-type chicken still in existence today. This paper reviews the history of the breed backgrounds for both control populations and reviews research utilizing the ACRB.

A sexual ornament in chickens is affected by pleiotropic alleles at HAO1 and BMP2, selected during domestication.

Domestication is one of the strongest forms of short-term, directional selection. Although selection is typically only exerted on one or a few target traits, domestication can lead to numerous changes in many seemingly unrelated phenotypes. It is unknown whether such correlated responses are due to pleiotropy or linkage between separate genetic architectures. Using three separate intercrosses between wild and domestic chickens, a locus affecting comb mass (a sexual ornament in the chicken) and several fitness traits (primarily medullary bone allocation and fecundity) was identified. This locus contains two tightly-linked genes, BMP2 and HAO1, which together produce the range of pleiotropic effects seen. This study demonstrates the importance of pleiotropy (or extremely close linkage) in domestication. The nature of this pleiotropy also provides insights into how this sexual ornament could be maintained in wild populations.

The Rose-comb mutation in chickens constitutes a structural rearrangement causing both altered comb morphology and defective sperm motility.

Rose-comb, a classical monogenic trait of chickens, is characterized by a drastically altered comb morphology compared to the single-combed wild-type. Here we show that Rose-comb is caused by a 7.4 Mb inversion on chromosome 7 and that a second Rose-comb allele arose by unequal crossing over between a Rose-comb and wild-type chromosome. The comb phenotype is caused by the relocalization of the MNR2 homeodomain protein gene leading to transient ectopic expression of MNR2 during comb development. We also provide a molecular explanation for the first example of epistatic interaction reported by Bateson and Punnett 104 years ago, namely that walnut-comb is caused by the combined effects of the Rose-comb and Pea-comb alleles. Transient ectopic expression of MNR2 and SOX5 (causing the Pea-comb phenotype) occurs in the same population of mesenchymal cells and with at least partially overlapping expression in individual cells in the comb primordium. Rose-comb has pleiotropic effects, as homozygosity in males has been associated with poor sperm motility. We postulate that this is caused by the disruption of the CCDC108 gene located at one of the inversion breakpoints. CCDC108 is a poorly characterized protein, but it contains a MSP (major sperm protein) domain and is expressed in testis. The study illustrates several characteristic features of the genetic diversity present in domestic animals, including the evolution of alleles by two or more consecutive mutations and the fact that structural changes have contributed to fast phenotypic evolution.

Effect of partial comb and wattle trim on pullet behavior and thermoregulation,1.

The wattles and comb of chickens are important for thermoregulation allowing for heat exchange during high temperatures. These integumentary tissues are sometimes trimmed to prevent tears if caught on cage equipment and to also improve feed efficiency; however, the procedure itself could be painful to chicks. Our objective was to determine the effect of trimming the comb and wattles on behavior, BW, feed usage, and the surface temperature of pullets. The wattles and comb of Leghorns were partially trimmed at 21 d age (n = 6 cages, 13 chicks each) with another 6 cages serving as controls. Behaviors were recorded 3 times daily for 1 h starting at 0800, 1200, and 1500 using instantaneous scan sampling observations conducted every 5 min prior to, on the d of, and after the trim. Group BW at 21, 28, and 36 d age and the amount of feed used for 7 d beginning at 21 and 29 d age were measured per cage. At 1300 h on d before and after the trim, thermal images of the pullet's beak, comb, eye, wattle, and shank were randomly taken on 3 pullets/cage. Smaller proportions of trimmed chicks were eating and greater proportions were sitting on the d of the trim as compared to the controls with the opposite trend occurring on 4 d post-trim (treatment by age interaction, P = 0.03 and 0.0001, respectively). Standing behavior differed only on the d of the trim where smaller proportions of trimmed pullets stood as compared to intact controls (treatment by age interaction, P = 0.0002). Trimming the comb and wattles did not affect preening, running, BW, feed utilization, and the surface temperature of the pullet. The indices of behavior suggest that on the d of the trim, pullets may have experienced temporary distress, but they returned to normal behavior by 5 h post-trim with no long-term effect on BW, feed usage, or surface body temperature.

The role of pleiotropy and linkage in genes affecting a sexual ornament and bone allocation in the chicken.

Sexual selection and the ornaments that inform such choices have been extensively studied, particularly from a phenotypic perspective. Although more is being revealed about the genetic architecture of sexual ornaments, much still remains to be discovered. The comb of the chicken is one of the most widely recognized sexual ornaments, which has been shown to be correlated with both fecundity and bone allocation. In this study, we use a combination of multiple intercrosses between White Leghorn populations and wild-derived Red Junglefowl to, first, map quantitative trait loci (QTL) for bone allocation and, second, to identify expression QTL that correlate and colocalize with comb mass. These candidate quantitative genes were then assessed for potential pleiotropic effects on bone tissue and fecundity traits. We identify genes that correlate with both relative comb mass and bone traits suggesting a combination of both pleiotropy and linkage mediates gene regulatory variation in these traits.

Intra-sexual competition alters the relationship between testosterone and ornament expression in a wild territorial bird.

In a reliable signalling system, individual quality is expected to mediate the costs associated with ornamental displays, with relatively lower costs being paid by individuals of higher quality. These relative costs should depend not only on individual quality, but also on levels of intra-sexual competition. We explored the current and delayed effects that testosterone implants have on bird ornamentation in populations with contrasted population densities, as a proxy for intra-sexual competition. In a replicated experiment, we manipulated testosterone in 196 yearling male red grouse Lagopus lagopus scoticus in autumn in populations of high and low levels of intra-sexual competition. Males were assigned to one of three exogenous testosterone (T) treatments: empty implants (T0), small T implants (T1) or larger T implants (T2). We monitored subsequent changes in testosterone levels, ornament size and carotenoid-based colouration, carotenoid levels and body condition from autumn to spring. Testosterone implants increased testosterone levels, comb redness and comb size, and decreased body condition but these effects depended on levels of intra-sexual competition. Specifically, T2-implanted birds increased testosterone levels and comb size more, and reduced body condition more, in populations where intra-sexual competition was low. In the following spring, testosterone levels of T2-treated birds kept increasing in populations where intra-sexual competition was high but not in populations where intra-sexual competition was low. Our results highlight that levels of intra-sexual competition alter the relationship between testosterone levels and ornament expression, influencing their condition-dependence; they also indicate that the outcome of standard hormone manipulation conducted in free-living animals vary depending on the population context.

Isolation of dermatophytes and related species from domestic fowl (Gallus gallus domesticus).

We investigated 793 bird combs [645 chickens and 148 fighting cocks (Shamo)] to determine the prevalence of dermatophytes and their related fungal species. The targeted fungal species were recovered from 195 of the 793 examined birds (24.6 %). Prevalence ratios were compared in temperate (the mainland) and subtropical (Nansei Islands) areas, genders, strains, breeding scale (individual and farm), and housing system (in cage and free ranging). The frequency of the fungal species in the mainland, males, fighting cocks, breeding scale by individual nursing, and free-range housing system exhibited significantly higher positive ratios than that in the other groups. A total of 224 dermatophytes and related species were isolated, including 101 Arthroderma (Ar.) multifidum, 83 Aphanoascus (Ap.) terreus, five Uncinocarpus queenslandicus, two U. reesii, two Ap. pinarensis, one Amauroascus kuehnii, one Ar. simii, one Gymnoascus petalosporus, one Microsporum gallinae, and 28 Chrysosporium-like (Chrysosporium spp.) isolates, which were identified using internal transcribed spacer regions of ribosomal RNA gene sequences. The predominant fungal species in the mainland was Ap. terreus and that in the Nansei Islands was Ar. multifidum. Pathogenic fungal species to humans and animals were limited to M. gallinae and Ar. simii, which corresponded to 0.025 % of the isolates in this study.

Chromosome-level genome of the transformable northern wattle, Acacia crassicarpa.

The genus Acacia is a large group of woody legumes containing an enormous amount of morphological diversity in leaf shape. This diversity is at least in part the result of an innovation in leaf development where many Acacia species are capable of developing leaves of both bifacial and unifacial morphologies. While not unique in the plant kingdom, unifaciality is most commonly associated with monocots, and its developmental genetic mechanisms have yet to be explored beyond this group. In this study, we identify an accession of Acacia crassicarpa with high regeneration rates and isolate a clone for genome sequencing. We generate a chromosome-level assembly of this readily transformable clone, and using comparative analyses, confirm a whole-genome duplication unique to Caesalpinoid legumes. This resource will be important for future work examining genome evolution in legumes and the unique developmental genetic mechanisms underlying unifacial morphogenesis in Acacia.

Metabolomics reveals the reasons for the occurrence of Pendulous-comb related to egg production performance.

The chicken comb is an essential secondary sexual characteristic to measure sexual maturity and is closely related to reproductive performance. Pendulous comb (PC) and upright comb (UC) are 2 common comb phenotypes in hens, which have been highly associated with egg production performance. However, the reasons for the formation of PC remain undetermined. In this study, we first characterized the PC and UC chicken at start (at 175 d age), peak (at 217 d age), and postlaying (at 300 d age) and found that PC and UC could transform for each other. Furthermore, we suggested that PC chicken demonstrated better egg production performance than UC chicken, especially characterizing comb type in the start-laying period. Moreover, we performed histological evaluation of PC and UC tissue, which suggested that the low density of collagen fibers and acid mucopolysaccharides might lead to the formation of PC. To further explore the possible reasons for PC formation, we performed an untargeted metabolomic analysis of serum between PC and UC chicken in the start, peak, and postlaying periods. The enrichment analysis of period-unique differentially expressed metabolites (DEMs) between PC and UC showed that the different metabolic pathways and nutritional levels might contribute to the formation of PC in the different laying periods. Our research provided critical insights into the phenotypic diversity of chicken comb, establishing a foundation for early selection of chicken egg production performance.

Comb size, shape complexity and laterality of laying hens reared in environments varying in resource choice.

The comb is an ornament involved in signalling condition in domestic fowl. We hypothesised that comb size, comb shape complexity (i.e., rugosity, the comb perimeter jaggedness), and comb laterality of laying hens would be influenced by the degree of environmental enrichment experienced during juvenile development in the form of resource choice. We conducted a 2 × 2 factorial crossover experiment with pullets reared in pens containing four perches of equal length and four litter areas of equal size. Pullets were exposed to a single choice vs multiple choices of perch and litter types (i.e., all the same vs all different) during Weeks 1-4 (Period 1) and/or Weeks 5-15 (Period 2) of rearing (n = 4 pens/treatment combination) prior to transfer to standard adult laying pens for Weeks 16-27 (Period 3). In Week 27, combs were photographed, and comb laterality (hanging on left or right side) was noted. Using a custom-made image analysis programme, we captured comb area (mm2), perimeter length (mm), and rugosity ((perimeter length - horizontal length) / horizontal length) from comb photographs of 6-7 randomly selected hens/pen. We predicted that hens reared in the multi-choice environment during Periods 1 and 2 would have larger, more complex, and left-side-biased combs than those in the other treatment groups, reflecting lower allostatic load. The predicted comb side bias was based on a possible bias in head posture/movements associated with greater right eye/ear use and left-brain hemispheric dominance. Contrary to our predictions, we detected an overall right-side bias in comb laterality, and no associations between resource choice treatment in Period 1 or Period 2 and comb area, perimeter length, rugosity, or laterality of the adult hens. Thus, variation in allostatic load resulting from the rearing treatments was insufficient to modify the trajectory of comb morphological development, possibly due to a ceiling effect when comparing environmental treatments on the positive end of the welfare spectrum. We found that left-lopping combs had shorter perimeters than right-lopping combs. However, among hens with left-lopping combs, those with larger combs were heavier and had less feather damage, while among hens with right-lopping combs, those with longer-perimeter combs were heavier and tended to have less comb damage. In conclusion, comb characteristics were related to physical condition at the individual level but did not serve as sensitive integrated indicators of hen welfare in response to basic vs enhanced resource choice during rearing.

Proteolytic activity from chicken intestine and pancreas: extraction, partial characterization and application for hyaluronic acid separation from chicken comb.

BACKGROUND: The potential utilization of viscera and combs, by-products from the chicken-processing industry, was investigated. Chicken combs have been reported to consist of hyaluronic acid (HA) bound to protein. Thus proteases extracted from broiler viscera were applied to digest combs to separate HA, a high-value ingredient widely used in pharmaceutical and medical products. RESULTS: The highest activity of crude protease extracted from chicken intestine and pancreas was 0.35 U mg(-1) enzyme at 60 °C and pH 7.5. pH stability of the enzyme was attained from pH 6 to 8, while its thermal stability declined from 30 to 50 °C, with complete activity loss occurring after 30 min at temperatures above 60 °C. Therefore the optimal conditions for broiler comb digestion by crude protease in this study were chosen as pH 7.5 and 50 °C. The results showed that the yield of crude enzyme-extracted HA was lower (P < 0.05) than that obtained by commercial papain digestion. Similar identity of extracted HA and HA standard was verified by cellulose acetate electrophoresis and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. CONCLUSION: The crude enzyme extract from chicken intestine and pancreas had high proteolytic activity and could be used successfully to separate HA from broiler combs. The method provides an appropriate means to add value to poultry-processing waste.

Apilarnil reduces fear and advances sexual development in male broilers but has no effect on growth.

1. An experiment was conducted to determine the possibility of stimulating sexual development at an early age in male and female broiler chickens by administration of apilarnil, a natural bee product, in the pre-pubertal period. 2. From 28 to 55 d of age, birds were given apilarnil orally. The effects of low (2.5 g/bird) and high (7.5 g/bird) doses of apilarnil on growth performance, testicular weight, secondary sexual characteristics, blood lipids, testosterone and fearful behaviour were evaluated. 3. Apilarnil administration did not cause a positive effect on growth performance of male and female broilers suggesting that apilarnil did not have an anabolic effect. 4. Apilarnil administration suppressed blood glucose and cholesterol. 5. Birds receiving apilarnil remained immobile for a shorter period in a tonic imobiliy test and showed less home-cage avoidance responses suggesting a lower level of fearfulness. 6. Increases in testicular weight, testosterone concentration and comb growth in males receiving apilarnil implied that it stimulates the sexual maturation at an early age. However, a similar stimulation of secondary sexual characteristics was not observed in females.

Black-wattle tannin/kraft lignin H3PO4-activated carbon xerogels as excellent and sustainable adsorbents.

This work proposed new black-wattle tannin/kraft lignin H3PO4-activated carbon xerogels as sustainable and efficient adsorbents. The precursors were chosen based on their eco-friendly and cost-effective nature, aiming to achieve adsorbents with high adsorption capacities. Carbon xerogels were synthesized through polycondensation with formaldehyde and alkaline catalyst in a simple one-pot procedure. Activation was performed using H3PO4 in a tubular furnace (500 °C), under a nitrogen atmosphere. Results show that the inclusion of the kraft lignin led to changes in the morphology of the materials, facilitating the development of their porous structure and increasing specific surface area and pore volume. The best adsorbent (XLT 50 %) was synthesized using a 1:1 tannin/kraft lignin mass ratio. This material presented an adsorption capacity of nearly 1150 mg g-1 of methylene blue (pH = 5 and T = 298 K), which was linked to its high specific surface area of 1348 m2 g-1. The adsorption process followed the pseudo-second-order kinetic model, whereas the adsorption isotherms were best fitted by the Sips model. The XLT 50 % presented good reusability properties, maintaining its adsorption capacity for 3 cycles. Finally, the XLT 50 % presented good adsorptive properties toward other pollutants (methyl orange, 4-chlorophenol, and hexavalent chromium), indicating its versatility for adsorption processes.

Obtaining of a rich-cellulose material from black wattle (Acacia mearnsii De Wild.) bark residues.

Black wattle (Acacia mearnsii De Wild.) barks are residues produced by tannin industries in huge quantities, which are normally discharged on environmental or used for energy production. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the use of black wattle bark residues as a raw material on obtaining of a rich-cellulose material by alkaline (MET1), acetosolv (MET2), and organosolv (MET3) procedures. The results obtained indicated that the alkaline methodology, followed by a bleaching step (MET1), promoted klason lignin and hemicellulose removals more efficiently. It was possible to observe that better results were achieved using NaOH concentration of 6% (wt%), at 65 °C for 2.5 h, presenting a yield of 63.24 ± 1.25%, and a reduction on klason lignin content of almost 90.45%. Regarding the bleaching step, it was possible to obtain a material free of non-cellulosic compounds with a yield of 78.28 ± 1.48%. Thermogravimetric analysis indicated the removal of lignin and hemicellulose as well as an increase in cellulose degradation temperature, due to changes in crystalline phases. According to X-ray diffraction (XRD), the procedures employed have led to an increase in crystallinity from 66.27 to 91.78% due to the removal of non-cellulosic compounds. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed morphological alterations in accordance with the removal of non-cellulosic compounds.