Pyrolysis of lignin in the presence of tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAH): products stemming from beta-5 substructures

Lignin model compounds, synthetic lignins, and cedar wood have been analyzed by pyrolysis-gas chromatography(-mass spectrometry) in the presence of tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAH) to examine the behavior of beta-5 substructures specifically under these conditions. Two model compounds contained a beta-5 linkage and a gamma-CH2OH group. The phenolic model compound produced stilbene products by way of a formaldehyde elimination of the gamma-CH2OH. The nonphenolic model compound underwent dehydration to give arylbenzofuran products. Dehydrogenation polymers of coniferyl alcohol gave a large amount of stilbene products in TMAH/pyrolysis. TMAH/pyrolysis of a Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria japonica) wood yielded a very small amount of stilbene products. The results demonstrated that synthetic lignins are rich in terminal beta-5 substructures, but cedar (a softwood) contains a paucity of the terminal beta-5 substructures.     

Lignins and ferulate-coniferyl alcohol cross-coupling products in cereal grains

Plant cell walls containing suberin or lignin in the human diet are conjectured to protect against colon cancer. To confirm the existence of authentic lignin in cereal grain dietary fibers, the DFRC (derivatization followed by reductive cleavage) method was applied to different cereal grain dietary fibers. By cleavage of diagnostic arylglycerol-beta-aryl (beta-O-4) ether linkages and identification of the liberated monolignols, it was ascertained that lignins are truly present in cereal grains. From the ratios of the liberated monolignols coniferyl alcohol and sinapyl alcohol, it is suggested that lignin compositions vary among cereals. Furthermore, dimeric cross-coupling products, comprising ferulate and coniferyl alcohol, were identified in most cereal fibers investigated. These ferulate 4-O-beta- and 8-beta-coniferyl alcohol cross-coupled structures indicate radical cross-coupling of polysaccharides to lignin precursors via ferulate.     

Differences between lignin in unprocessed wood, milled wood, mutant wood, and extracted lignin detected by 13C solid-state NMR

Solid-state 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy was applied to intact and isolated loblolly pine wood samples to identify potential structural changes induced by tree age, milling, lignin extraction, or naturally occurring mutations. Special attention was paid to ketone and aldehyde as well as nonpolar alkyl groups, which could be observed at low concentrations (<2 in 1000 C) using improved spinning-sideband suppression with gated decoupling. Carbonyl structures were present in intact wood, and there are more keto groups than aldehydes. Their concentrations increased from juvenile to mature wood and with milling time, whereas extraction did not alter the C=O fraction. Significant amounts of aldehyde and dihydroconiferyl alcohol residues were present in coniferyl aldehyde dehydrogenase-deficient wood, confirming solution-state NMR spectra of the corresponding lignin. These results demonstrate the utility of solid-state NMR as an assay for changes in the lignin structure of genetically modified plants.     

Capillary zone electrophoresis of coniferyl alcohol oxidation products.

Capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE) was developed for the quantitative determination of dimers obtained by horseradish peroxidase-catalyzed oxidation of coniferyl alcohol. The influence of pH, electrolyte concentration, applied voltage, and temperature on CZE performance was investigated, resulting in an efficient and rapid separation. Coniferyl alcohol-derived dimers were directly analyzed from their reaction mixtures, without any extraction or derivatization step. In addition, these dimers were analyzed within 14 min, a substantially shorter time than is required for the HPLC method or the conventional capillary gas chromatography of their silylated derivatives. Standard deviations between injection replicates were in the 0.4-0.7% range for migration times and in the 1.8-5.1% range for relative normalized peak areas. The method could therefore be successfully applied to follow the peroxidase-catalyzed oxidation of coniferyl alcohol.     

Occurrence of naturally acetylated lignin units

This work examines the occurrence of native acetylated lignin in a large set of vascular plants, including both angiosperms and gymnosperms, by a modification of the so-called Derivatization Followed by Reductive Cleavage (DFRC) method. Acetylated lignin units were found in the milled wood lignins of all angiosperms selected for this study, including mono- and eudicotyledons, but were absent in the gymnosperms analyzed. In some plants (e.g., abaca, sisal, kenaf, or hornbeam), lignin acetylation occurred at a very high extent, exceeding 45% of the uncondensed (alkyl-aryl ether linked) syringyl lignin units. Acetylation was observed exclusively at the gamma-carbon of the lignin side chain and predominantly on syringyl units, although a predominance of acetylated guaiacyl over syringyl units was observed in some plants. In all cases, acetylation appears to occur at the monomer stage, and sinapyl and coniferyl acetates seem to behave as real lignin monomers participating in lignification.     

Pyrolysis methylation—mass spectrometry of whole soils

In-source pyrolysis field ionization mass spectrometry (Py-FIMS) and Curie–point pyrolysis gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (Py-GC/MS) have been applied to the characterization of whole soils methylated off–line and on–line by two methylation reagents. Samples of a gleysolic Ap–horizon and a podzolic Bh horizon (C_org concentrations 2–3%) were investigated by conventional on–line and developed off–line methylation with tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAH) and by off–line methylation with diazomethane. For the first method, the soils were dried, milled and pretreated with TMAH for 10 min at 250°C at ambient pressure outside the pyrolyzers. For the second method, the dried and milled soils were methylated with an ether solution of diazomethane for 12 h at room temperature (～20°C). Pyrolysis methylation with TMAH enabled aliphatic C₂–C39 monocarboxylic acid methyl esters, C4–C₃₀ dicarboxylic acid dimethyl esters and benzenecarboxylic acid methyl esters to be detected. Methoxybenzenes from phenols, benzenediols and benzenetriols, methoxybenzenecarboxylic acid methyl esters from phenolic acids and furancarboxylic acid methyl esters from carbohydrates were also identified. Nitrogen–containing compounds in soil organic matter were obtained as N,N–dimethylamides. Using diazomethane as methylation reagent, distinct Py-FIMS signals were observed for aliphatic C₂–C₃₂ monocarboxylic acid methyl esters and C₃–C₂4 dicarboxylic acid dimethyl esters. Additionally, methoxybenzenes originating from lignins, methoxybenzenecarboxylic acid methyl esters from phenolic acids and N,N–dimethylamides from amides were detected. The more acid podzolic Bh horizon showed higher relative intensities for dicarboxylic acid dimethyl esters and methylated phenolic acids compared to the gleysolic Ap horizon. Similarly, benzenecarboxylic acids are connected mainly by ester linkages to the macromolecular network of soil organic matter. Both methylation procedures support conventional Py-FIMS and Py-GC/MS and give valuable additional information on the occurrence of aliphatic and aromatic carboxylic acids, substituted phenols, benzenediols, benzenetriols, phenolic acids and amides in soil organic matter.     

Thermal behavior of beta-1 subunits in lignin: pyrolysis of 1,2-diarylpropane-1,3-diol-type lignin model compounds

1,2-Diarylpropane-1,3-diol-type lignin model compounds, 1,2-bis(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)propane-1,3-diol (1) and 1-(3,4-diethoxyphenyl)-2-(4-methoxyphenyl)propane-1,3-diol (2), were pyrolyzed at 500 degrees C for 4 s to clarify the thermal behavior of beta-1 subunits in lignin. Products were monitored by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. The cleavage of the Calpha-Cbeta bond to produce benzaldehydes such as 4-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzaldehyde (9) and phenylethanals as the counterparts such as 4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenylethanal (10) occurred in pyrolyses of both 1 and 2. In pyrolysis of 1, an oxetane pathway leading to the formation of Z/E-stilbenes without the gamma-CH2OH group such as Z/E-4,4'-dihydroxy-3,3'-dimethoxystilbene (3) was predominant. In pyrolysis of 2, the oxetane pathway was minor, while pathways producing a dimer with a =CgammaH2 group by loss of water and a dimer with an alpha-carbonyl group were predominant. Pyrolysis of Japanese cedar wood provided 3 and 10 in approximately 0.8% and 0.6% yields, respectively, based on the Klason lignin content, while pyrolysis of a guaiacyl bulk dehydrogenation polymer gave them in a very small amount.     

Analysis of technical lignins by two- and three-dimensional NMR spectroscopy

Modern multidimensional NMR spectroscopic methods were applied to investigate the effects of kraft pulping and oxygen delignification on lignin side-chain structures. In addition to the two-dimensional HSQC measurements, the three-dimensional HSQC-TOCSY technique was utilized to elucidate the (1)H-(1)H and (1)H-(13)C correlations of individual spin systems and thus indicate a certain lignin side-chain structure. Unlike earlier, nonlabeled samples were used for 3D measurements. According to 2D and 3D NMR spectra, most of the structures identified in milled wood lignin (MWL) are still present in technical lignins after kraft pulping and oxygen delignification. Although the main reaction during kraft pulping is the cleavage of beta-O-4 linkages, these structures are still left in spent liquor lignin as well as in residual lignin. The amount of coniferyl alcohol and dihydroconiferyl alcohol end groups, as well as some unidentified saturated end groups, is higher in technical lignins than in MWL. Contrary to our earlier observations, no diphenylmethane structures were observed in any technical lignins. Vinyl aryl ether structures could not be detected in technical lignins either.     

Synthesis,structure elucidation,and olfactometric analysis of lilac aldehyde and lilac alcohol stereoisomers

Structure elucidation of the lilac aldehyde and lilac alcohol stereoisomers was ascertained by (1)H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, including intramolecular nuclear Overhauser effects of the separated diastereoisomers and anisotropic effects of the diastereomeric 2-phenylpropionyl ester, and (1)H, (1)H COSY NMR spectroscopy of synthesized (5'R)-configured stereoisomers, synthesized from (R)-linalool. Direct stereodifferentiation of the eight stereoisomers of lilac aldehyde and lilac alcohol, respectively, has been achieved, using enantioselective capillary GC. The elution order of the isomers was deduced from the chromatographic behavior of the (5'R)-configured diastereoisomers. Additionally, the odor thresholds of lilac aldehyde and lilac alcohol stereoisomers are reported.     

Synthesis and characterization of dehydrogenation polymers in Gluconacetobacter xylinus cellulose and cellulose/pectin composite

To mimic the lignin polymerization process, mats of bacterial cellulose and of a pectin/cellulose composite were used as a host matrix for in vitro polymerization of coniferyl alcohol. A diffusion cell was used to allow the diffusion of both hydrogen peroxide and coniferyl alcohol into the peroxidase impregnated cellulose mats through dialysis membranes. The results indicate that significant polymerization occurs within the mats. The resulting binary and ternary blends were imaged by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and characterized by chemical means. The presence of pectin induces a better dispersion of the synthetic lignin in the cellulose network and enhances the proportion of alkyl-aryl-ether in the polymer.     

Characterization of a benzyl alcohol dehydrogenase from Lactobacillus plantarum WCFS1

Aroma is an important sensory parameter of food products. Lactic acid bacteria have enzymatic activities that could be important in the modification of food aroma. The complete genome sequence from Lactobacillus plantarum WCFS1 shows a gene (lp_3054) putatively encoding a protein with benzyl alcohol dehydrogenase activity. To confirm its enzymatic activity lp_3054 from this strain has been overexpressed and purified. Protein alignment indicated that lp_3054 is a member of the family of NAD(P)-dependent long-chain zinc-dependent alcohol dehydrogenases. In lp_3054 all of the residues involved in zinc and cofactor binding are conserved. It is also conserved the residue that determines the specificity of the dehydrogenase toward NAD (+) rather than NADP (+) and, therefore, L. plantarum benzyl alcohol dehydrogenase is less active in the presence of NADP (+) than in the presence of NAD (+). The purified enzyme exhibits optimal activity at pH 5.0 and 30 degrees C. The kinetic parameters K m and V max on benzyl alcohol as a substrate were, respectively, 0.23 mM and 204 mumol h (-1) mg (-1). Besides its activity toward benzyl alcohol, it showed activity against nerol, geraniol, phenethyl alcohol, cinnamyl alcohol, and coniferyl alcohol, all of which are volatile compounds involved in determining food aroma. The biochemical demonstration of a functional benzyl alcohol dehydrogenase activity in this lactic acid bacteria species should be considered when the influence of bacterial metabolism in the aroma of food products is determined.     

The identification of dilignols from dehydrogenation mixtures of coniferyl alcohol and apocynol [4-(1-Hydroxyethyl)-2-methoxyphenol] by LC-ES-MS/MS

A LC-ES-MS/MS method for the identification of dilignols formed by the oxidative cross-coupling of coniferyl alcohol and apocynol has been developed. The identification is based on the generation of ammonium adduct ions [M + NH(4)](+) by electrospray ionization and thereafter the following fragmentation patterns for the selected precursor ions. Fragmentation of several arylglycerol-beta-aryl ether (beta-O-4) and phenyl coumarane (beta-5) model compounds were studied as a reference.     

Trapping of p-Coumaryl and Coniferyl Alcohol during Soda-Anthraquinone Treatment: A Means of Estimating Uncondensed β-O-4 Structures in Native Lignin

In most native lignins, at least 50% of the phenylpropane (C(9)) units are involved in β-O-4 linkages. It was recently observed that ethylguaiacol (EG) was efficient at trapping coniferyl alcohol generated from the cleavage of uncondensed β-O-4 dimeric structures during soda-anthraquinone (AQ) or SAQ delignification of sugar maple wood meal. Some of the coniferyl alcohol was transformed to vinylguaiacol and isoeugenol, and the α-carbon atom in all three monomers formed C-C bonds with the C-5 position of EG. In the present research, eucalyptus and sugar cane bagasse meals were also investigated, and the yields of uncondensed β-O-4 structures in the nonsyringyl fraction were quantitated. The estimates of the uncondensed fraction of the lignin in the three samples (assuming S units are 90-95% uncondensed) were in close agreement with results from traditional but more tedious methods such as permanganate oxidation or spectroscopic methods requiring a sample representative of native lignin.     

Pyrolysis of lignin in the presence of tetramethylammonium hydroxide: a convenient method for S/G ratio determination

Pyrolysis-gas chromatography in the presence of tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAH) was applied to the determination of the ratio of the abundances of the syringyl beta-aryl ether subunits to those of the guaiacyl equivalents (S/G) in lignin. Diazomethane-methylated kenafs (Hibiscus cannabinus and Hibiscus sabdariffa) and beech (Fagus crenata) in situ lignins were employed. Relative abundances of pyrolysis products derived from the guaiacyl and syringyl beta-aryl ether subunits were determined. The S/G ratios for in situ lignins were obtained with average 3.1% relative standard deviation for a minimum of six repeated runs. The S/G ratios determined by pyrolysis in the presence of TMAH agreed well with those determined by thioacidolysis, with a significant linear regression (R(2) = 0.9867). The results showed that pyrolysis with TMAH is an effective tool for obtaining information on the S/G ratio for in situ lignins.     

Molecular changes in particulate organic matter (POM) in a typical Chinese paddy soil under different long‐term fertilizer treatments

A combination of solid‐state CPMAS‐¹³C‐NMR and TMAH thermochemolysis‐GC/MS was applied to investigate the molecular composition of particulate organic matter (POM) separated from a Chinese paddy soil, from the Tai Lake region, under a long‐term field experiment with different fertilizer treatments. The treatments were: (i) no fertilizer application (NF), (ii) chemical fertilizers only (CF), (iii) chemical fertilizer plus pig manure (CFM) and (iv) chemical fertilizer plus crop straw (CFS). CPMAS‐¹³C‐NMR spectra showed that POM from all treated plots was rich in O‐alkyl‐C compounds, followed by alkyl‐C and aromatic‐C compounds. However, as compared with a control (NF), POM under CFM and CFS treatments exhibited a smaller relative O‐alkyl‐C content and a larger contribution of aromatic‐C and alkyl‐C, thus increasing both aromaticity and hydrophobicity and, hence, recalcitrance of POM samples. Thermochemolysis of POM from all treatments demonstrated a dominance of aliphatic and lignin‐derived compounds. However, the distribution of lignin monomers (p‐hydroxyphenyl, P, guaiacyl, G, and syringyl, S) revealed significant differences among the treatments. The relative distribution of lignin P, G and S monomers in NF, CF and CFS indicated a preferential contribution of annual crops and maize straw, as compared with that found for CFM. Concomitantly, a larger content of aliphatic thermochemolysis derivatives was found for CFS and CFM. The relative increase of aliphatic molecules in CFS was attributed to hydrophobic polyesters from higher plants. In the CF and CFM systems, the presence of aliphatic components of microbial origin suggested a greater microbial activity in comparison with NF and CFS. The combined application of solid state CPMAS‐¹³C‐NMR and TMAH thermochemolysis‐GC/MS can be used to assess effectively the accumulation of recalcitrant organic compounds in soil POM under long‐term fertilizer application with organic biomass. It is thus inferred that soil organic matter stabilization by molecular recalcitrance contributes to carbon sequestration in Chinese paddy soils under long‐term managements.     

Liquid chromatographic-fluorometric determination of cinnamyl alcohol in perfumes, colognes, and toilet waters

A liquid chromatographic (LC) method is described for the determination of cinnamyl alcohol (3-phenyl-2-propen-1-ol) in fragrance compositions. The fragrance product is partially cleaned up by diluting the fragrance with a 95% ethanol-water mixture and passing it through a short column containing RP-8 packing. An aliquot of the effluent is then analyzed by LC using an RP-18 column interfaced to a spectrophotofluorometer equipped with double monochromators. The fluorescence emission intensity of the eluted cinnamyl alcohol is measured and compared with that of a standard to calculate the amount of cinnamyl alcohol present. Recoveries from fragrance products fortified with cinnamyl alcohol at levels ranging from 0.0020 to 0.060 mg/mL ranged from 85 to 105% with a mean of 94%. The lowest level of determination was 0.0005 mg/mL.     

猪粪好氧发酵过程中挥发性有机物组分分析及致臭因子的确定

为了控制猪粪好氧发酵中产生的挥发性有机物(volatile organic compounds)及主要致臭物质,开展了猪粪好氧发酵试验,通过连续监测猪粪好氧发酵过程中所排放的挥发性气体,研究猪粪好氧发酵中产生的VOCs组分及其致臭因子。研究表明,在猪粪好氧发酵过程中共产生33种挥发性物质,除氨气和硫化氢外,共有31种VOCs,包括芳香烃12种,醛类8种,硫醇硫醚类4种,卤代烃4种,酮类2种,胺类1种;猪粪好氧发酵中主要致臭物质为:二甲二硫、甲硫醚、二甲三硫、乙醛和硫化氢,并建议将甲硫醚作为猪粪好氧发酵中产生的恶臭污染指示物。该研究可为猪粪堆肥过程中恶臭物质的监测、制定控制策略提供参考。     

Structural motifs of syringyl peroxidases are conserved during angiosperm evolution

The most distinctive variation in the monomer composition of lignins in vascular land plants is that between the two main groups of seed plants. Thus, whereas gymnosperm (softwood) lignins are typically composed of guaiacyl (G) units, angiosperm (hardwood) lignins are largely composed of similar levels of G and syringyl (S) units. However, there are some studies that suggest that certain angiosperm peroxidases are unable to oxidize sinapyl alcohol, and a coniferyl alcohol shuttle has been proposed for oxidizing S units during the biosynthesis of lignins. With this in mind, a screening of the presence of S peroxidases in angiosperms (including woody species and forages) was performed. Contrarily to what might be expected, the intercellular washing fluids from lignifying tissues of 25 woody, herbaceous, and shrub species, belonging to both monocots and dicotyledons, all showed both S peroxidase activities and basic peroxidase isoenzymes analogous, with regard the isoelectric point, to the Zinnia elegans basic peroxidase isoenzyme, the only S peroxidase that has been fully characterized. These results led to the protein database in the search for homologies between angiosperm peroxidases and a true eudicot S peroxidase, the Z. elegans peroxidase. The findings showed that certain structural motifs of S peroxidases are conserved within the first 15 million years of angiosperm history, because they are found in peroxidases from the two major lineages of flowering plants, eumagnoliids and eudicotyledons, of note being the presence of these peroxidases in Amborella and Nymphaeales, which represent the first stages of angiosperm evolution. These phylogenetic studies also suggest that guaiacyl peroxidases apparently constitute the most "evolved state" of the plant peroxidase family evolution.     

南方典型水稻土长期试验下有机碳积累机制研究Ⅳ.颗粒有机质热裂解-气相-质谱法分子结构初步表征

采用热裂解-气相-质谱(Pyr-TMAH-GC/MS)技术对长期不同施肥处理下太湖地区黄泥土本体土壤及水稳性团聚体中颗粒有机碳(POC)的化学组分进行了研究。结果表明,POC的热裂解产物主要来源于脂肪族化合物和木质素类化合物。木质素类化合物主要以愈疮木基丙烷(G)和p-羟苯基(P)两种木质素单体为主,从而揭示黄泥土POC积累中草本植物(水稻、油菜的残茬和秸秆)的输入贡献。脂肪族化合物主要为C8-C30脂肪酸甲基酯(FAMEs),且大多为偶数碳结构。施肥改变了各裂解产物在本体土壤和水稳性团聚体中的分布,从而使得不同施肥处理下各类化合物对POC稳定性的贡献出现了差异。化肥配施猪粪下木质素类化合物以及微生物源的脂肪族化合物均贡献于本体土壤POC的积累与稳定,而化肥配施秸秆下本体土壤POC的化学稳定性主要归因于高等植物源化合物的贡献,其次为微生物源脂肪族化合物。化肥配施有机肥下水稳性团聚体中较高的POC主要归因于植物源有机物质的分解贡献。本研究揭示了合理施肥下水稻土中有机碳的化学抗性组分在土壤有机碳积累中的促进作用,各组分的相对分布差异可指示有机碳积累的不同来源。